


Crimson Eyes

by alcatrazisgod



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game), Nier Gestalt | Nier
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fantasy, Post-Canon, Post-Ending E (NieR: Automata), Romance, Science Fiction, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 10:25:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17078561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alcatrazisgod/pseuds/alcatrazisgod
Summary: The world was left in an unsurprisingly fragile state after the Tower went dark.  As he bled to death at the top of that pale spire, 9S was at least relieved that he would not have to continue suffering in such a pointless world.  However, even death's sweet release did not last for long.After regaining consciousness, 9S was greeted not by his pod or even A2, but a zealous scanner model and his band of enigmatic cronies.  They were tall, ancient humanoid monstrosities with skin that resembled salt.  9S found himself facing a bizarre cult of crazed machines, red-eyed androids, and silent salt monsters all with one bloody goal in mind.Of course, with a growing thirst for violence and nothing left to live for, it did not take much to recruit him to their cause.





	1. Old World Commandos

**Author's Note:**

> This project was originally posted under the title of "Iron Homunculus" on Fanfiction.net. I also only recently remembered that I had an account on this site so I thought I'd put it to use.
> 
> I decided to rewrite the story and take it in a different direction as I had a lot of issues with the previous iteration of this work. My main purpose for this is to focus from the very start on specific themes. Pacing and certain characterization were among some of the other reasons why I decided to revamp the story.
> 
> I'll elaborate further on these changes and the purpose for the rewrite at the end of the chapter for those who are interested. For those who are not then it can be summed up simply as: I did not like the initial direction the story was headed in so, I started over from scratch.
> 
> The story is heavily based on the backstory of Nier and Drakengard. If you are unfamiliar with the whole timelines nonsense going on between the two series then you might end up being lost during these initial chapters.
> 
> I do look forward to reading any feedback and hope you all enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: The machines have finally gone the way of YoRHa. Good riddance too! Still work to be done, though.
> 
> This 9S fella better be worth the effort. I have no idea why the boss lady wants him on our side so badly, but whatever. It gives us something to do.

The sky was blanketed with heavy storm clouds. It had been threatening to rain for the past few hours but not once did a droplet of water come down. Lightning and thunder were becoming more and more common as time went on. It was only a matter of time before the storm could truly get going.

Quietly, Devola carried her seemingly lifeless sister up the various sloped paths that would lead them both out of the pit surrounding the Tower’s entrance. Devola paid careful attention to her surroundings. While the last thing she wanted was to be ambushed, she had not seen much of anything since she woke up. The few machines she did see appeared to have no interest in her.

It, however, did prove to serve as a nice distraction. The more time she spent looking for potential threats, the less likely she would be to see her sister in such a miserable state. The sound of Popola’s heavy breathing was only enough to keep Devola from having a mental breakdown.

Devola glanced up to the top of the cliff, expecting to see nothing. She froze in place when she caught a glimpse of someone or something standing above her. She only saw it for a moment. Whatever it was, it was not a machine. It was far too humanoid to be a machine. While it was extremely tall and strikingly pale, it looked like no YoRHa android she had ever seen before.

She blinked and just like that, it was gone. Devola looked around frantically in search of whatever that creature was, but she was unable to locate it.

Suddenly, she did not want to rush to the top of the cliff anymore. However, with her sister’s life on the line and with the Resistance Camp still, so far away, she did not have the luxury to hesitate. Devola took a deep breath and pressed on.

* * *

 

Devola made her way through the ruined streets. She had yet to catch another sighting of that pale creature, but she felt no desire to stick around merely to see if it would show up again.

Of course, it was not a completely peaceful walk back to the camp. As she turned a corner and started down a new path, Devola once again found herself frozen in place. Just down the cracked road, Devola spotted a blond scanner model staring right back at her. He had piercing red eyes which immediately caught Devola’s attention.

He looked very similar to 9S at least in the face. Devola also could not help but notice the pod floating by his side. That had been the first time she had seen a YoRHa pod aside from 9S’ little assistant. The pod had a mostly dark gray finish to its metal, and like all pods, it had a separate color highlighting certain components. This pod was given a bright green trim.

Oddly enough, the android made no attempt to mindlessly charge her like the other infected androids were doing to just about anything that crossed their path. Instead, he simply stood there and smiled at her.

“Well, hello there,” the android spoke out. “You look familiar. Where have I seen you before?”

His voice caught Devola off guard. The last thing she expected was for him to form any semblance of a coherent sentence.

The android slowly approached Devola. Naturally, she started backing away as he drew closer.

“Ah, now I remember,” the android explained. “How could I’ve forgotten? You were the two rejects back at the camp. Always got the shit jobs, from what I recall. Not that you deserved much better.”

“ _Back off_ ,” Devola warned. She lowered her arms in preparation to drop her sister in the event that she needed to draw her sword.

The scanner made no attempt to heed her demand. Instead, he continued to prance forward. He gave her a mocking smile along the way.

“So how is the old Resistance doing? Still wallowing around in their own blood and feces? Is that darling, Anemone still leading that lost cause?”

Before Devola was given the chance to come up with a response, the scanner’s pod spoke out in a feminine tone.

“Pod 665 to Unit 12S: There are more important matters to attend to at the moment. The Dragon has given us an assignment to complete in a timely manner. Testing her patience is not advisable.”

Briefly, the smile on 12S’ face faded. He glanced over his shoulder and glared at his pod.

“Thank you, 665! I’ll keep that in mind,” 12S retorted, ever so slightly raising his voice. He then returned his attention to Devola.

“Well, before I get going, I’ve got a question for ya. Know where my good buddy went? I lost track of him again. He’s really tall and pale. His skin looks like salt. You saw him?”

“I saw somebody near the cliff,” Devola replied. Her desire for him to leave her alone was enough to compel her to give him such information. “Didn’t get a good look at them but your description sounds about right.”

The android’s sinister smile grew wider. He walked past her. All the while, Devola kept her eyes locked on him.

“Thanks for the info,” 12S replied. “Maybe you’re not so bad after all...”

12S left her sight. Devola quickly twirled around as the thought of him being behind her was rather unsettling. To her amazement, the moment she turned around, he was gone. Both he and his pod were nowhere to be seen.

Devola glanced at her sister who was still barely clinging to this side of life in her arms. She turned back around and doubled her pace to the camp. She had no time to worry about that strange scanner model, although, one image did stick in her mind.

 _“_ _His skin looks like salt.”_

As that echoing line overshadowed her thoughts, Devola stared down at her sister. “Surely he doesn’t mean…”

Devola cut herself off.

“Has to be a coincidence.”

* * *

 

12S skipped merrily down the cracked and overgrown pavement. He kept on the lookout for his ‘good buddy,’ but apart from his search, 12S showed no concern for his surroundings. He pulled his sword, not out of worry that he might be attacked by a machine or mindless android, but simply for occupying himself.

He twirled it around and around in his right hand as if it were a cane that would soon be involved in an overly choreographed dance number. He jumped over the mutilated corpse of a random android that just so happened to be lying dead in his path.

“What a great day,” 12S gleefully announced.

He left the body behind but quickly stumbled upon a severed hand lying a few feet away from the corpse it so obviously belonged to. 12S promptly kicked the bloody hand and sent it tumbling down the road.

“Analysis,” Pod 665 interrupted. “Unit 12S is experiencing an abnormal level of joy.”

“You bet your rectangular backside I am! The Network is eradicated. Finally! Our last big obstetrical. Those machines were the only group that could offer up any resistance. Now, they’ve gone the way of YoRHa. Of course, I’m fucking ecstatic right now!”

“A reminder that the Dragon has yet to order a departure for Jerusalem,” Pod 665 explained as if solely to dampen the scanner’s mood. “Her current orders are as follows: Locate and apprehend the Machine Lifeform under the alias of Masamune. Based on current intelligence reports, this will require a deep excursion into the Forest Kingdom. The secondary objective is to recruit YoRHa Unit 9S to the Legion. All other goals and objectives have been placed on hold for the foreseeable future.”

12S suddenly went from skipping down the road to angrily dragging his feet along the ground. He was on the verge of kicking that disembodied hand even further down the road but decided not to even bother.

“You don’t have to remind me. Ugh, don’t you have something else to do aside from cramp my style?”

“ _Negative._ ”

12S had no desire to continue bickering with his pod. He kept moving in the direction of the Tower. It made sense that all of his pals were headed down that same path. That was where their secondary objective was to be found. Of course, if that woman with the odd colored hair was lying, he would surely pay her another visit in the future.

The scanner turned a corner and nearly bumped into a familiar monster. A looming humanoid creature that towered over him. A creature who was both tall and had skin that resembled salt in both color and texture. 12S smiled at the sight of him.

He wore a tattered uniform that was at one time colored in a digital urban camouflage pattern. The monster wore a black Kevlar vest over his faded uniform. It was riddled with bullet holes. His rifle was strapped to his back. An old G3 that had surely seen more time in combat than 12S had seen _time_ in general. To top of his ancient wartime outfit, a black helmet sat atop his head.

“Oh,” 12S exclaimed in cheerful surprise. “Uh… The hell did I name you again… Oh, yeah! Jeremiah! There you are!”

The monster he so fondly dubbed ‘Jeremiah’ made no verbal reply apart from a quiet grunt.

“So, uh,” 12S stammered as he examined the desolate area. “Where’s everybody else?”

Jeremiah silently nodded his head toward the open entrance behind him. A doorway leading inside the building that he was currently leaning against.

12S scratched his head for a moment but brushed off the initial confusion.

“Okay… Take me to them, soldier! I’ve got an announcement to make!”

The reaction the pale soldier had was not exactly what 12S expected. He would have preferred his order be met with cheering and optimism. Instead, Jeremiah huffed and pushed himself off the wall. He then lazily stumbled inside the old structure.

Just as 12S was about to follow his salty comrade into the darkness, his pod’s voice broke the silence.

“Pod 665 to Unit 12S. Keep in mind that the Black Box signal of YoRHa Unit 9S was lost shortly before that beacon was launched from the Tower. The Dragon has insisted that Unit 9S is just as detrimental to the Legion as are those twins. If we are unable to recruit him, there might be consequences for us to pay.”

12S gulped in fear. He had almost forgotten about that little detail. _Almost._

* * *

The trio stepped out onto the roof of the ancient structure and was immediately greeted by a group of five pale humanoids. All of them develop in the same tattered attire worn by Jeremiah, and they were equipped with similar old world weapons.

The first of the pale aberrations to notice their presence. He wore the same uniform as the others. The only difference was a cluster of bloodstained bandages wrapped around his right bicep. The creature used an enormous Barrett M82 as leverage as he lazily hoisted himself upright.

Another one of the ghostly soldiers stepped up as well. Equipped with an old FN SCAR that had a very eroded finish, he stood tall over the scanner model. He had a strange smile eternally plastered to his face. A smile that never failed to unsettle 12S.

“Ezekiel,” 12S exclaimed. “Status report!”

Silently, Ezekiel pointed to somewhere off in the distance behind the android. As 12S turned around, the other soldier crouched down at the edge of the roof and started setting up the massive sniper rifle in his arms.

12S watched as he planted the bipod on the outcropping ledge of concrete and took aim with the scope, pointing the barrel in the same direction that Ezekiel was pointing.

“Ah, good thinking… uh…”

Once more, 12S had forgotten one of the names he gave to the otherwise nameless monsters that surrounded him. He repeatedly snapped his fingers as he tried to force the name to come to mind. He even considered pulling out that old leather-bound book with those fancy gold pages to remind himself. Fortunately, after some time, it came to him.

“Obadiah!”

12S knelt down and looked through the scope. The crosshairs were perfectly aligned with a YoRHa issued pod that was floating above the roof of a faraway building. That structure in question was shorter than the building 12S and his pale cronies were occupying which gave the scanner a decent angle to view the targets. The pod had a dark gray, almost black finish, and red trim. 12S moved the scope around to get a better view of everything going on out there.

It did not take long before he spotted another pod hovering in the air above two seemingly dead androids. A pod with a much lighter finish to its body and had an orange trim. There were a few other pods loitering in the area, but those two drew his attention merely because of their more varied colors.

He lowered the rifle downward to gain a better view of the corpses lying on the roof. He still could not make out any details on them.

12S leaned away from the scope and glinted toward its owner.

“Hey, does this thing have a magnifier?”

Obadiah reached forward and fiddled with the controls on the scope while 12S lowered his head and resumed his survey of the area. The scope zoomed in, giving 12S a better view of the androids down range. One of them looked oddly familiar.

“Is that our guy!?”

12S handed the Barrett back to its owner and immediately felt relief after letting go of that incredibly heavy rifle.

Fear began to set in as 12S continued to stare off in the distance. He could still see those pods now that he knew where to look.

“Don’t tell me he’s actually dead. What’s going on over there?”

“Pod 665 to Unit 12S,” the little robot interjected. “I will investigate these matters. Stand by.”

665 flew off in the direction of the other pods. As she flew past 12S’ head, the scanner model called out to her.

“Hold on!”

Pod 665 ignored him and continued onward without uttering another word. She only stopped when 12S shouted at her.

“I said stop!”

Finally, his pod complied with his demands. She turned to him and slowly approached the roof.

“Analysis,” Pod 665 proclaimed. “YoRHa Unit 9S appears to indeed be dead. However, those pods look as though they are working on repairs. Recommendation: Allow me to make contact with them and gain further insight into the situation.”

“No,” 12S snapped. “No talking! We don’t have that kind of time. So long as his memories are still intact then we can finish the repairs ourselves. The boss lady gave me these orders before she left to do… whatever it is that she’s doing. If she comes back and finds out I still don’t have him then she’ll eat me or something!”

12S turned to the pale soldiers surrounding him. Each of them were well armed even if their weapons were older than YoRHa itself. He noticed the other two creatures standing in the background. He recognized the one he named ‘Amos’ simply by the weapon he wielded. A massive rifle that looked more as if he had taken two different weapons and stacked them on top of each other. The bottom weapon looked like a more traditional submachine gun with its own magazine, barrel, and frame. The top half of the weapon was a 20mm launcher. It too had its own magazine situated under the stock. It too had its own barrel positioned above the first.

To top it all off, a rather complicated optic sat atop the weapon. It like the rest of the gun was littered with buttons and controls. The front end of the optic looked more like a small, curved computer screen than a traditional scope.

Apart from the odd weapon, 12S could always spot that particular creature by the bizarre device attached to his helmet. It was a screen that hung from his helmet and was positioned directly in front of his left eye.

The last of 12S’ friends stood next to Amos, toting around one of the old world weapons that Pod 665 referred to as a ‘SPAS-12’. Apart from being the only one to utilize a shotgun, he was also the only one who refused to wear a helmet. Opting instead to wear a bulky set of red headphones with a cable that presumably attached to some sort of music player in one of the pockets of his uniform.

12S knew that device was operable as every time he stood near that headphone wearing abomination of salt, he could hear the echoing of obnoxious music. How such an ancient piece of technology still worked remained a mystery to 12S.

“ _Jubal_ ,” he called out, pointing at his own ears.

The creature lifted his right headphone off of his ear in response.

12S glared at the ground where a particularly disinterested soldier was lying at his feet with his head propped up against the roof’s ledge. 12S was able to swiftly remember his given name as he was the only member of the group to carry two primary weapons. An M249 SAW covered in rust but apparently still functional was strapped to the front of his torso while a Milkor revolving grenade launcher was normally strapped to his back, however, he set it to the side before lying down.

In frustration, 12S kicked him in the shin just to get his attention. The salty creature responded by growling at the android.

“Isaiah! Listen to me!”

With all eyes firmly on him, 12S pointed to the building up ahead in an almost accusing fashion.

“Look! If the Dragon comes back and sees that we lost him, she'll fucking roast me alive! I don't want to die. I'm too young and important to die!”

A few of the soldiers exchanged snarls and glances as if silently disagreeing with that last statement.

“She would especially be angry if she found out why you were unable to stop Unit 9S from entering the tower in the first place,” 665 interjected.

12S responded with a death stare. “I was achieving enlightenment!”

“Correction: Unit 12S was rendered incapable of assisting Legion personnel at the Tower after having consumed a large number of hallucinogenic mushrooms. All further operations were halted as a result.”

“ _Anyway_ ,” the scanner shouted, reclaiming the attention of his small audience. “Our objective is right over there! We need to grab him, dead or alive.”

12S pointed to the group’s resident sniper who still conveniently had his Barrett still aimed in the direction of the scanner’s goal.

“Obadiah! Stay here and keep those pods pinned. Kill them or force them to retreat if possible, but don’t let them take that body! Everyone else, follow me!”

“Recommendation,” 665 interrupted once more. “We should at least attempt negotiating for the body. Perhaps trades or favors can be made in exchange for the corpse of Unit 9S. Allow me to make contact with those support pods. If an agreement can be reached, I am certain that much of our time, energy, and munitions could be spared.”

“I won’t repeat myself,” 12S argued sternly. “I’m in charge while the Dragon is away! She said so, herself!”

“Negative. The Dragon explicitly assigned the role of second in command to Ezekiel,” 665 retorted, only to be ignored by her stubborn android.

“You guys have all these huge guns,” 12S continued. “Let’s put ‘em to use! We’re gonna go over there and kill anything that moves! Simple.”

An awkward moment of silence passed as the mute soldiers surrounding 12S all turned to Ezekiel for approval. While that act annoyed 12S greatly, nobody paid him any mind. Eventually, and to 12S’ desperate relief, Ezekiel gave them all a nod of approval.

“Then it’s settled,” 12S immediately announced, not daring to so much as give them the time needed to change their minds. “Lock and load! Let’s go kill something!”

* * *

 

A sequence of three bombastic gunshots rang through the air. Tearing their way across the sky. Devola jumped at the sound of them. They were close enough to make her think twice about standing out in the open.

She twirled around and stared down the same path where she met that strange scanner model. Devola had not covered much distance since she had last seen that red-eyed android. Popola started to stir in her arms which caused Devola to stop in her tracks and examine her. Of course, just when she was about to get a move on, those gunshots rang out above her.

Cautiously, Devola knelt down and prepared to bolt for the nearest wall at a moment’s notice. Devola looked up and searched the skyline frantically.

She knew it came from one of the rooftops nearby, but she could not be certain as to which one. Suddenly, a hail of rapid firing projectiles erupted from the roof of a building on the on the other side of the ruins. The unmistakable fire of a YoRHa support pod. In fact, Devola was almost certain there was more than one unloading upon the building above her.

Suddenly, whoever was standing on the roof above her opened fire again. That weapon, whatever it could have been, was easily one of the loudest that Devola had ever heard. She and her sister had been around plenty of them when working with the Resistance but never had she heard a weapon sound quite like that.

Having no desire to get caught in the middle of someone else’s firefight, Devola hoisted her sister up as she rose off the ground. She promptly stammered off in the direction of the camp, trying her best to ignore her sister’s increasing activity until she could at least reach a safer location.

After all, she had been through up until then, the last thing Devola wanted was to be wrapped up in another fight. She was surprised to learn that, apparently, not everyone was so eager for peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first iteration of this story did not have a recognizable identity nor an overt theme. I could have and inevitably would have developed one later on, but as said in the first note, that was not the only problem the story was facing.
> 
> For this new version, I wanted to model this new story after the more gritty portrayals of war we see in movies and games of today. However, a more optimistic side was also something I chose to pursue. Giving the project a similar mood and aesthetic to early 20th-century propaganda films was just as tempting.
> 
> Eventually, I decided to feature both through certain character perspectives.
> 
> During this rewrite, I was once again struggling to decide if I should even include Devola and Popola. They were almost cut... again.
> 
> Some of the more minor changes I made were in regards to the weapons employed by the Legion.
> 
> Jeremiah was always intended to utilize a sidearm and nothing else. Isaiah was initially only equipped with a grenade launcher. Jubal had a P90 in the first version of the story. Given that all of the Legion characters are mutes, I have to develop their personalities in other ways. I chose their respective weapons and equipment not only to help demonstrate their preferences but the very specific roles they play when working as a cohesive unit.


	2. Crossfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: We're finally seeing some action. About time too. Those pods are still held up on the roof with our boy, 9S, or at least, what's left of him. Hope he's at least repairable or I'm gonna be Dragon food.
> 
> We need to get in position quickly and think of a plan. Obadiah has 'em pinned, but there's no telling what sorta tricks they have up their sleeves.

That mysterious sniper had already taken out three fellow pods. Their metallic bodies were practically smeared across the roof. 042 and 153 took cover behind the rubble that lay scattered across the roof. Neither of them dared to leave the safety of their cover.

Having the superior firepower proved to make no difference. Eventually, they were all pinned down, unable to retaliate.

Pod 153 was positioned on the opposite side of the roof. Among the other pods they had managed to take control over, only five were still alive. As 042 stared at the two dead androids lying side by side out in the open, the little robot attempted to think of a way to drag them to safety.

“Pod 042 to Pod 153,” 042 said in his usual monotone voice. “It appears we are taking fire from an unknown assailant.”

As soon as that statement was made, a bullet tore through the concrete just above 153, forcing her to duck even lower to the ground.

“Pod 153 to Pod 042. I reached the same conclusion approximately 11 minutes and 33 seconds ago when three of the other support pods were destroyed.”

153 waited for some time to see if Pod 042 would follow up with his conclusion but he said nothing.

“Did you have a plan to retaliate?”

“Negative, I was merely reminding you of the fact that we are indeed still being attacked” 042 immediately responded. “However, I will inform you if the situation changes.”

“Appreciated.”

* * *

 

12S and his band of salty combatants all lined themselves up against an old school bus sitting just outside of the building where their objective was held.

The scanner watched curiously as Amos stood at the very end of the bus. He held his XM29 out of cover but did not shoulder the weapon. He merely held it up and pointed it presumably toward the roof. All the while, he kept himself hidden behind cover, staring obviously not through his scope but the small screen attached to his helmet.

After a few minutes, Amos ducked away from the end of the bus and turned to face the rest of the group. In particular, he locked eyes with Ezekiel and shrugged his shoulders. Ezekiel silently turned to Isaiah and pointed toward the entrance of a nearby building on the right. One that was both next door to and taller than the building those pods were occupying.

Without question, Isaiah turned and bolted for the building’s entrance. Confused by this display, 12S could not help but voice the one question that was on his mind.

“So, what’s the plan, guys?”

“Hypothesis,” 665 interjected. “We are waiting for Isaiah to take up a position on one of the upper floors of that building to provide suppressing fire. At that point, it should be safe to proceed with the mission.”

“I mean… I doubt they’d see us,” 12S argued. “Besides, Obadiah’s already got the bastards pinned. Dude’s been kicking ass! Didn’t you say three of them are already dead?”

“Correct. I am no longer detecting three support pods. While this could mean they have simply left the area, it would more than likely indicate their deactivation.”

665 paused for a moment before she was struck by an idea.

“Proposal. All Legion personnel aside from Amos should remain behind cover. Amos can re-position himself in the building to the left. Once both have found their place, I would request that they provide suppressing fire while I ascend to the roof of the target structure and seize Unit 9S. Once he has been removed from the area, Amos and Isaiah can utilize their grenade launchers to wipe out what remains of the belligerents.”

The pod waited for some form of response, but not even her android said anything. She assumed this meant that her plan was agreeable.

“I will inform Isaiah of this change in development.”

With that, 665 floated off toward the sky, leaving the rest of the group to bide their time.

12S watched as she left and glanced around to his remaining allies with a confused look in his bright red eyes. He could not help but ask the one question that was infecting his thoughts.

“So, uh, what do _we_ do?”

The group ignored him. They were too busy silently coming up with a plan of their own. At least, that was what12S assumed.

Ezekiel gestured for Jubal to follow him. Miraculously, he was able to get Jubal’s attention, most likely due to the fact that he was sitting directly in front of the headphone wearing salt monster.

Ezekiel suddenly bolted out of cover and ran towards the building straight ahead. Jubal followed suit, nodding his head to the music in his ears as he went.

12S poked his head around the corner of the old bus and watched as the two of them approached the structure. Once they reached the entrance, 12S was surprised to see that they made no attempts to actually enter it. Instead, Ezekiel crouched down in the doorway and aimed his SCAR straight ahead while Jubal turned around and sat back to back with his teammate.

Slowly, 12S ducked back behind cover and gave Jeremiah a nervous smile.

“Guess it’s just you and me, then,” he said with a slightly frightened laugh. “Please don’t leave me.”

Jeremiah shot a glare at the worried scanner and growled. He then turned back to the surrounding area in the opposite direction of the target building.

* * *

 

Obadiah lined up the crosshairs of his scope with the hand of a pod that was just barely poking out of cover. Even from such a distance, he could easily see it, but given that his rifle was sighted in for about five miles, this fact came as no surprise. The task of keeping them pinned down was all too easy as he would hardly dub this, ‘extreme range.’

Slowly, Obadiah moved his crosshairs away from the pod’s exposed claws and guesstimated at about where the robot’s main body was located. He took aim at the concrete wall the little machine was hiding behind and slowly, steadily pulled the trigger.

The pod immediately hit the ground. Obadiah could see it flop down and come to rest on the ground as it tumbled away from cover.

Casually, the sniper reached for an old notepad lying on the ledge to his left. He picked up the pen lying on top of the yellow paper and marked a single tally on the page. That was most certainly not the only tally on that page and it was far from the first page of his notepad. Each one represented a different confirmed kill.

Once that new addition was added to his little collection, Obadiah returned his attention to his optic, just waiting for the chance to mark another tally in his beloved notepad.

* * *

 

It was most certainly demoralizing to see that not even their cover was offering up much protection for the pods. 042 and 153 both watched as a .50 caliber round tore through solid concrete as if it were nothing and bury itself into one of the pods they had reactivated for the sole purpose of collecting parts for their dead androids.

“ _Alert_ ,” 042 announced shortly after that nameless pod was killed. “I have calculated the probability of our survival to be exactly 0.000000000002%. Recommendation: Withdraw from the area immediately.”

“Pod 153 to Pod 042: That sniper is heeding my ability to maneuver. I am unable to retreat at this time.”

“Proposal,” 042 replied. “Watch the door for any additional enemy forces that may be attempting to or are already in the process of breaching the building.”

“Understood. Will do.”

Pod 153 shifted her attention to the open doorway leading down into the building beneath them. While nothing appeared to be moving in the darkness yet that could very quickly change.

* * *

 

Once Isaiah reached the top floor he set himself up by a window that had a clear view of the roof below. He debated going onto the roof, but the darkness of the building’s interior as well as all of the cover the walls around him provided made the choice an easy one.

He sat his MGL against the wall to his right as keeping the thing strapped to his back was pointless. He extended the bipod on his machine gun and rested it against the bottom of the open window.

Just as he was about to take aim and open fire, he caught a glimpse of something approaching him out of the corner of his eye. Swiftly, the pale monster motioned the barrel of his weapon in the direction of the pod that was floating closer and closer to his window. The only thing that stopped him from immediately mowing the thing down was the robot’s distinct green paint.

“Friendly,” Pod 665 proclaimed, realizing rather quickly that she had startled the monster. The pod came to a stop and hovered in the air just outside of the window. She showed no concern for the hostiles below.

“I have come to inform you that there has been a change in plans. I will retrieve Unit 9S from the roof ahead. I need you to lay down suppressing fire until I move him to safety at which point, I want you to lob grenades at the roof. As many as you feel is necessary to wipe out any opposition.”

Isaiah glinted toward his grenade launcher beside him and then back to 665. He gave the pod a quiet nod of acknowledgment.

“Amos is currently taking up a position in the building on the opposite side of the target area. Please wait for him to start firing. Most importantly, I ask once more that you not utilize explosives until the objective and myself have reached a safe distance.”

* * *

 

Amos crept his way up the stairs with his strange rifle at the ready. He kept his guard up as one could never be certain what was waiting behind the next corner. Fortunately, an assault rifle combined with a semiautomatic grenade launcher always ensured he was prepared.

He spotted a window across the hall that looked to be a decent spot to set up. He silently approached it, only stopping about halfway down the corridor when he spotted another hall on his left. Amos glanced down the path. There was nothing down that way apart from darkness and empty space, but something was still capturing the pale soldier’s attention.

Amos pointed his rifle down that lonely hallway and stared down the scope. As soon as his scope was in line with his dominant eye, Amos spotted someone standing a fair distance down the hall. Someone who was certainly not there a moment ago.

A shadowy figure. The dark outline of a person. Amos stared at the entity through his optic. He watched as it waved at him.

“ _Hey_ ,” the figure called out in a playful whisper. “ _Over here!_ ”

The voice sounded like that of a child. A little girl and the outline of the shadow indicated as much. Slowly, Amos lowered his rifle. He gazed down the hall with his own eyes only to see nobody there. The hall was empty once more.

Amos lifted his rifle upward again and looked through his optic. He jolted in surprise. Through the scope, he could see the figure was not only still present down what should have been an empty hall, but it had cleared most of the distance between them. The figure stood mere inches away from the barrel of his rifle, staring right back at him.

On impulse, Amos yanked his trigger and unloaded half of his magazine down the hall. He regained his composure and lifted his head up to check his surroundings. No shadow. Just for reference, he looked through his scope and this time, he saw no one. There was nothing in the hall with him. Nothing but the sound of his own ears ringing and a large cloud of dust that had been kicked up by the rounds he sprayed down the hall.

The sound of distant machine gun fire brought Amos back to reality. The monster stood upright and charged for the window at the end of the hall. Wasting no time, he aimed or rather he pointed the barrel of his weapon in the general direction of the enemy and opened fire. Precision, ammo conservation, and killing were not on his mind. Suppression was his only goal.

He hardly even looked to see where the enemy pods were. The fact that he could not see them meant that the strategy was working. Instead, he kept his attention on 665 who he quickly managed to spot floating around in the air below. She took her sweet time. That was for certain.

Before Amos knew it, he was empty. Of course, Isaiah’s weapon was still littering the target area with rounds. Amos made quick work of his reload before that too changed. He placed the empty magazine in one of the pouches of his uniform and loaded in a new one. He managed to chamber a fresh round at just the right time.

He spotted one of the enemy pods attempting to engage 665 and was quick to lob round in its direction until the robot was forced back behind cover.

665 was not exactly gentle with the objective. The moment Amos saw her drag the lifeless android across the concrete and throw the body over the ledge like a rag doll, he knew it was time to switch tactics.

Isaiah soon stopped firing as well. The two simultaneously switched over to their respective grenade launchers. For Amos, all it took was a mere flip of his selector switch. Just as he was about to obliterate that rooftop altogether, he was forced to pause. Amos noticed Pod 665 returning to the roof.

She had already let the first android fall to the ground, yet for some reason, she floated straight back to the roof. She grabbed the other android and dragged her over the ledge as well. She then finally descended to the safety of the ground.

Amos had no time to ponder her actions. Isaiah had already started peppering the area with grenades. The hostile pods were beginning to chase after her. Before they could be given the chance, he too took aim and resumed firing.

* * *

 

Pod 042 scrambled across the roof. He dashed through the air as he avoided the plethora of grenades that rained down around him. Explosions erupted all around him. Debris was thrown in every which way. In hindsight, he preferred the bullets.

His two androids were unreachable at that point. His only focus was finding 153. He was eventually forced to float in the direction of the building directly behind his own as there was an opening in the wall which would provide some much-needed shelter from this explosive assault.

“Pod 042 to Pod 153: Please respond.”

The lack of a reply only caused 042 to become more frantic in his search.

“I say again... Please respond.”

Luckily, the explosions came to an abrupt halt. Whether the hostiles were retreating or just reloading, the area fell quiet. Regardless of the situation, 042 ducked behind cover for fear of being seen, either by that sniper or whoever was launching those explosives.

“Pod 042 to Pod 153: State your location.”

Faintly, in the distance, 042 could hear a familiar voice answering his question at long last.

“Critical damage sustained,” 153 announced. “Flight functions disabled.”

It only took 042 an instant to figure out which direction the voice was coming from. The cloud of dust that surrounded the pod drastically limited his ability to see, but once he caught a glimpse of what looked like a fellow pod lying on the ground, he charged forward.

Just as the grenades started falling again, 042 picked 153 up off the ground and bolted for the safety of the nearest building.

* * *

 

Jubal paid more attention to his music than he did the battlefield. He failed to even notice the carnage that was going on right above him. However, when a corpse came falling from the sky and landed in the grass right in front of him, he could not help but regain focus.

He tapped Ezekiel on the shoulder. The two of them left their positions and approached the corpse. Jubal flung his shotgun over his shoulder and wrapped its sling around his torso. He then knelt down to pick the corpse up. Suddenly, another lifeless body came hurtling toward the ground. Both of them jumped at the unexpected sight.

They both looked up toward the sky only to be greeted by Pod 665 as she floated toward the ground. She gave them both a wave.

“Mission accomplished,” 665 announced.

“What the hell,” 12S’ voice interjected from afar. The group turned in his direction just in time to see him emerge from behind hiding with Jeremiah silently following him.

“We only needed the guy. Why’d you bother grabbing them both,” the scanner inquired in frustration.

“Apologies for the inconvenience,” 665 replied. “I noticed that Unit 9S was missing his left arm which would hinder his usefulness to us. I brought along the other one as her left arm is still intact. It can be used as a replacement.”

“Is that actually possible!?”

“It is.”

12S’ eyes widened in amazement.

“Really!? So you can just chop off limbs from random androids and replace your own!? Why does nobody tell me this stuff? I had no idea we were so modular!”

He adopted a rather creepy smile. 665 could tell by the look on his face that this information was clearly giving him more ideas than it probably should.

12S drew his sword and without waiting to be asked, he brought it down on the woman’s left forearm. Blood sprayed from her severed limb.

It was always a welcome sight.

12S cackled as he tossed the detached forearm up in the air for his pod to catch.

“Go let the others know that the job is done,” 12S demanded. “Have ‘em meet us back at the coast. Will bring the dead guy with us.”

* * *

 

The two pods watched from the safety of their newfound shelter as the roof up ahead was practically obliterated. 153 laid on the floor while 042 hovered above her. They silently stared at the ruins beyond, both totally clueless about what had just transpired.

153 eventually managed to think of something to say if nothing else than to break the oppressive silence that had abruptly replaced all of those bombastic explosions.

“The enemy appears to have stopped attacking. Proposal: Search for Units 2B and 9S as well as check on Unit A2. The identity of the hostiles is still unknown to me. Did you manage to identify any of them?”

“Negative,” Pod 042 replied. “I did spot an unknown pod dragging Units 2B and 9S off of the roof while we were taking heavy fire. I was unable to intervene. They were dropped from the roof. I will first search ground level. I will return momentarily.”

As 042 floated off toward the opening in the wall, 153 spoke out to him once more before he got too far.

“Devola has already been successfully revived and Popola should regain consciousness in the coming hours. Our abilities have proven insufficient in combating these belligerents. We should ask for their help as soon as possible.”

“Understood,” 042 said as he hesitantly floated out into the open. The fact that he was not immediately shot down or bombarded with grenades was a good sign.

He wasted no time and hovered over the decimated roof and down to toward the open area in front of the building. From the sky, he quickly spotted 2B’s body lying abandoned in the middle of a desolate road. 9S was nowhere to be seen.

As he drew closer, 042 noticed the pool of synthetic blood beneath her. It did not take long at all for him to find out where she was bleeding. It was difficult for the pod to not to notice that her left forearm was completely gone.

042 made certain to check her head for any wounds. He was relieved to find none. While he searched, the pod did spot something else of interest. Strange white particles were sprinkled on her dress as well as the ground around her. Particles resembling salt.

042 quietly plucked one of the grains off of her and held onto it. Even the dust left behind by their attackers was a potential clue. As far as 042 was concerned, there was nothing unworthy of being analyzed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the opening chapter of the first version of this project, 9S was to be "liberated" by the Legion after they set off charges underneath the roof and cause it to collapse. They dug him out of the rubble and simply ran off with him, but there was virtually no fighting going on in the meantime.
> 
> I did write an earlier version of the first chapter which started off with the Legion attacking the pods. A2 was originally supposed to be fully functioning, but I scrapped that idea.
> 
> I also decided to put those chapter summaries to use. I styled them as entries by 12S similar to a lot of the diary entries featured on loading screens seen in old WW2 games. Given that most of the action scenes in this story are based on old blitzkrieg footage, I figured it was fitting.


	3. Nines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: Well, that was anticlimactic. The enemy didn't put up much of a fight. To be fair, we never gave them much of a chance.
> 
> Grenade launchers are surprisingly effective. Who would've thought?

9S threw himself upright and immediately grabbed at his tunic in search of the gaping wound that should be somewhere on his torso. To his surprise, he could not find it. There was no sword sticking out of his body nor was there a pool of synthetic blood surrounding him.

He took a look around. He had expected to see the familiar marble white architecture of the tower, but he saw nothing of the sort. 9S found himself in some dark, ruined room. To his left was an open window. Sickly gray light poured in from outside but it was barely enough to illuminate his surroundings.

As he forced himself up off the ground, 9S could not help but notice his left arm. It was exactly the same as he remembered, that being, not his own. He grimaced at the sight of 2B’s hand and caressed it.

Aside from his memories of her, that severed arm he now called his was all he had left of her. At least it was still intact. 9S swiftly banished his grieving thoughts and returned his attention to his surroundings.

_“_ _Rise and shine, boy.”_

The android froze in place upon hearing a voice coming from somewhere nearby. It spoke to him from out of thin air. He already knew he was the only person in the room yet he could hear this voice as if someone was whispering straight into his ear. It was a woman’s voice. An unfamiliar and slightly worn out voice, but she still spoke with the sort of authority that could keep his attention.

_“_ _I will meet with you in person as soon as I can, but until then, let me explain a couple of things to you. I am responsible for bringing you back to life. You died atop the Tower, partly due to my servant’s ineptitude. I ordered him to prevent you from entering in the first place, but we see how that turned out.”_

9S stammered a response the moment he saw an opportunity to speak. He was too baffled by this strange voice to come up with anything better to say.

“W-who are you?”

_“_ _Names are irrelevant. Go find 12S. There is work to be done.”_

That echoing voice fell silent once more. 9S frantically looked around but he could not find its source. He scanned the ceiling, he ran over to the window only to find that he was at least five stories above the ground. There was no one in the room with him.

“Hello?”

He heard no response.

9S stumbled toward the first door that came into view. The only way out of this empty room that did not involve jumping out a window.

He cautiously stepped into the dark halls and looked down both the path to the left and the right. The halls were illuminated by torches mounted against the walls on either side of the corridor.

Just as 9S was beginning to ponder which direction he should head in, another voice called out to him. This time, a distinctly male voice that echoed throughout the empty hallway.

“You’re awake. At last. Please, come this way. The Oracle wishes to see you.”

9S jumped in fright and turned to the right. In the dim light, he could make out the figure of a medium biped machine with eerie eyes that glowed red. The nearest torch illuminated the machine’s cracked metal plating on his head which exposed his blood-stained teeth.

For the life of him, 9S could not figure out where this machine came from. That corridor was empty not but a split second ago. The machine towered over 9S. It would have been impossible for him to miss such a large figure approaching him. It was as if the robot appeared from out of thin air.

9S took up a defensive stance. He had no weapon on him which only made the android even more apprehensive toward the metallic creature.

“I come in peace,” the machine spoke. “Just follow me. You will learn as we go.”

The machine had a strange voice. He did not sound like the average machine. He had no impediments in his speech, and his voice was not automated in the least. He simply did not sound like a machine ought to.

9S was angered by the mere presence of that red-eyed abomination. None the less, he at least appeared to lower his guard.

“Stay close,” the biped ordered as he turned his back to the android. “It is easy to get lost here.”

* * *

 

It took some time for the 042 to reactivate A2. He watched as she slowly rose up off the ground like a zombie. She looked around for a moment. She failed to notice either him or 2B’s mutilated body lying next to her.

When her eyes finally did fall upon the pod, she adopted a more typical scowl. She glared at him in silence. Eventually, 042 was forced to break the silence himself.

“Greetings. Welcome back to life, Unit A2. Question: Do you remember me?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Interesting. Then your memory is still intact.”

Silence followed 042’s response. A2 stared at the pod with a blank expression on her face. She could not help but grab at her stomach to feel for any swords jutting out of her body, but she found nothing of the sort. No wounds, no blood, nothing.

“What happened,” A2 asked in a murmur.

042 expected such a question, yet he had no proper way to begin his explanation. He merely responded with the first event that came to mind.

“Allow me to explain...”

* * *

 

9S followed that strange machine down the hall. His feet echoed each time they hit the floor. He wanted nothing more than to hack into that machine and destroy the thing. However, for the time being, his curiosity got the better of him.

The two reached a pair of large doors presumably leading to some large chamber beyond. The machine promptly stopped in his tracks and stepped out of the way. Once a path was cleared for the android, the machine gave him one final nod.

“Through these doors. Take a seat and listen well.”

9S approached the dual doors, not once taking his eyes off of the machine on his left. The machine leaned to the side and pushed one of the doors open for him.

9S was immediately overwhelmed by the room ahead. It was an enormous chamber. The room was covered in rows of benches all facing away from him. Machines filled these benches and gave the stage on the other side of the room their undivided attention.

It did not take 9S long to notice the stage. There was lone android on the stage. A blond scanner model pacing back and forth as he rambled on about something. 9S was far more interested in the enormous mural covering the wall behind the stage. It depicted a towering pale figure holding an equally massive sword in one hand and extending a free hand toward the onlookers.

The creature at the forefront of it all had the appearance of a human male crafted from marble or some other solid white substance. He wore a blue shirt hidden underneath a metal breastplate which had a trim of deep blue paint. The pale man also wore a strange hunk of armor that wrapped around his left elbow but he had no matching accessory on his right arm.

Along with that massive sword, the hero of the mural toted around a large scabbard which was strapped to his back. To top off his strange, almost otherworldly appearance, he had bright red eyes that did indeed glow.

9S assumed this effect was achieved by installing red lights into the mural but he could not tell from this distance.

The creature appeared to be screaming at him and any other soul who might find themselves staring back at the mural. His hand forever remained extended outward as if to help up some fallen comrade all while barking out orders or merely screaming for the sake of creaming at the same time. Simultaneously, he pointed his sword up ahead. A gesture commanding his allies to charge, regardless of the cost.

9S turned his attention to the great battle depicted in the background. He saw similar pale creatures standing at the main character’s side. They carried both swords and rifles as they charged what appeared to be some wall looming high over a ruined urban environment.

Large artillery guns lined both sides of the wall and fired at each other’s positions. A pale winged creature flew high in the sky, spitting out fireballs at the wall below. He realized that this winged lizard must have been a depiction of the mythical dragons he often found mentioned in literature from the old world. The reptilian beast fit the description perfectly.

The enemies of this artistic scene were of various appearances and proportions. Most of them looked to be human. They did not wear the usual YoRHa getup. As 9S got a closer look at these strange foes, he realized just how monstrous they appeared. Despite being generally closer in appearance to the average resistance fighter or ancient human, they were depicted with sharp, jagged teeth. They had long claws and some even had horns on their heads.

They looked so demonic whereas the white army charging their ranks seemed so heavenly. 9S could not help but notice the vibrant radiance that glowed from each of the pale monsters.

Among those demonic humanoids defending that apparently important wall, 9S noticed another form of creature depicted in the mural. These creatures appeared to be made entirely out of shadows. They were a stark contrast to the pale heroes of this scene. They had ghostly bodies of pure darkness only slightly illuminated by these bizarre golden lines that mainly covered their limbs.

“Before I surrender this sermon over to the Father, I’d like to welcome all of the new members to our congregation,” the android on stage spoke aloud, regaining 9S’ attention.

9S looked toward the scanner only to find him staring right back at him with a welcoming smile. His eyes were a vivid shade of red like the character in the mural.

“Our numbers have grown both with the fall of YoRHa and the Network.”

As the scanner spoke on, 9S noticed an empty space in a bench nearby and decided to take a seat. He never took his eyes off of that android, who in turn, continued to watch him from the other side of the room.

“Some of you hear the Dragon’s voice. Some of you discovered our glorious leader, Red Eye, through different means. Some of you are here simply because you feel as though you have nowhere to go. It matters not. You’re all present in this very room today because you were guided here. Whether you realize it or not is a different story.”

The blond android finally turned away from 9S. His smug little grin grew in size as he paced back and forth on stage.

“For those of you who I am not acquainted with yet, my name is 12S. I heard the Dragon’s whispers during my service to YoRHa decades ago. I, like each of you, felt just as confused. Just as displaced in the world. Just as lost. Yet now I am found! Through Red Eye’s light, I have regained my purpose. So let me tell you a bit about why we're here, and about our Lord and Savior.”

* * *

 

Pod 042 resumed his work on 2B’s arm as he explained the situation. All the while, A2 stared down at the lifeless android, silently watching as he went about the needed repairs.

“While we failed to acquire a visual on the attackers,” Pod 042 explained. “I did discover Maso particles in the area. It is not enough to prove that this contamination has connections with our attackers, but it is cause for concern.”

“Maso?”

“A hazardous particle that is lethal to humans,” Pod 042 explained. “While androids are largely unaffected by the disease inflicted by Maso, it is still important to remember that the particles are a biohazard and should be treated accordingly.”

A2 glanced toward Pod 153 who was still sitting on the floor in the far corner of the room. She was definitely damaged and not moving. The android wondered if she was still alive, but for some reason, she never bothered to ask.

“The disease is referred to as White Chlorination Syndrome. It is responsible for the extinction of humanity.”

That statement caught A2 off guard. It completely contradicted her entire understanding of world history.

“Don’t you mean the aliens? I thought they wiped out humanity?”

“Negative,” Pod 042 disclaimed immediately. “That was merely a propaganda piece created by YoRHa. They referred to a previous generation of androids as humans, however, the true humans have been dead for approximately 7,747 years ago.”

A2 glanced out the window as she listened to the pod speak to make sure they were not being spied on.

“This was 814 years prior to the arrival of the aliens. The group largely responsible for this atrocity was referred to as the Legion. They were a symptom of White Chlorination Syndrome. Once a human was infected with this otherworldly particle, their skin would adopt the appearance and texture of salt. They would eventually either die or transform into a pale monstrosity of abnormal height and strength. As the disease became more widespread across the world, the numbers of the Legion rose dramatically.”

* * *

 

The scanner danced across the stage as he practically sang his praise of this entity called “Red Eye.” 9S watched him in fascination. He crossed his arms and sank into his seat. He made an effort not to attract attention to himself. He was surrounded by suspicious characters.

Berserk machines and androids infected with logic viruses were the only attendants to this dark sermon. None of them even glanced 9S’ way and he definitely wanted to keep it that way.

“Red Eye came to this world and saw nothing but sin and corruption,” the android on stage declared. “He along with those blessed to take on his image sought to liberate humanity from the evils embedded within them. The evils that infest our world to this very day. His glory reached far and wide. Many of our human ancestors saw this light. However, many fought back. The unenlightened apes deemed the Lord’s gift a blight and sewed their own destruction by choosing a path of damnation.”

The android stopped in the middle of the stage. He turned away from the audience and extended his arms up to the elaborate and admittedly beautiful mural on the wall. An image of war so wondrous it made 9S want nothing more than to throw himself into some new fray just to see combat with artistic eyes.

“Humanity built this chamber. The image you see on the wall was crafted by those who were driven into hiding. Future generations have carried on a tradition of adding onto it over time, but the original concept was still carved into stone by them. Even after being silenced by their fellow man, our ancestors sought to show Red Eye and his Legion in all their glory. Our congregation is essentially the same as the one they built eons ago. Our fearless leader, Red Eye’s right hand, the Dragon who guides us was originally rescued by those brave men who lived so long ago.”

The speaker turned back to the audience and dropped his shoulders in disappointment.

“It is fair to note that most of humanity gave Red Eye the support he deserved. However, greedy organizations and the governments that ruled over the populace forced them into an unholy war against the very angels sent to avenge them. It is our ancestors who have made this all possible! The humans who built the very chamber you seek refuge in! The brave men and women who gave their lives for our cause long before _we_ were even thought of! Even now, I can feel their presence in this room with us! I can feel their eyes upon us! They watch and wait for us to reclaim the world, and by extension, their honor! I ask you all to stand up, now. Stand up and shout out to the heavens! Let them know that the war is still on!”

Everyone followed his command. They stood up and cheered for their apparent audience of ghosts. All except for 9S who still did not feel very comfortable participating. As he watched the rest of the congregation venerate the dead, he noticed a series of flags lining the walls on either side of him.

Huge red banners depicting a strange and rather off-putting symbol. A symbol that did not look like it belonged in this world. He had never seen it before, or at least not that he could recall, and yet it resonated with him more than the speech he was listening to. A symbol that stirred something within him from the moment he laid eyes on it.

The banners depicted what looked like two faces fused together. Both faces had a single eye of their own and where they converged, only one large and imposing eye was depicted. Surrounding the conjoined faces was a series of strange characters that he was unable to read. To top off the bizarre symbol, two wings sprouted out from either side of the faces.

For reasons he could not explain, 9S was immediately attracted to this symbol. It resonated with him to a point of almost being creepy. How he longed to be able to read the foreign slogan on those flags.

Suddenly, 9S felt something metallic brush up against his shoulder. He jolted in his seat and turned around. He was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar support pod floating in the air next to him.

“Greetings, Unit 9S,” the pod announced quietly. “I am Pod 665. Support pod to YoRHa Unit 12S who is the one you have been watching on stage. I understand that you might be a bit confused so please follow me. I would like to enlighten you on our operations here as well as offer you a position within our ranks.”

9S did not say anything in response. He stood up and ducked out of his seat and followed the pod out of the room.

While he was not exactly interested in this creepy cult, the prospect of learning just what was going on around here was enough to capture his attention.

* * *

 

042 rambled on as he worked of 2B’s missing arm. A2 kept watching the streets below just in case these apparent attackers decided to come back.

To her relief, she noticed 153 slightly moving every once and a while, but the pod kept quiet. At least she was still alive.

After 042 had done seemingly all that could be done with 2B, he floated over to 153 and began his inspection of the damage.

“There was a massive effort to cleanse the world of White Chlorination Syndrome,” 042 proclaimed. “Most of what was left of humanity by that point had their souls transferred to separate bodies. Vessels that were not biological in the slightest. It was merely a means of halting the spread of infection while the very first androids were built and sent out to combat both the Legion and the disease.”

A2 glanced down to a small area in the room set aside by 042 where he had placed the particles in question in a small dish.

“Another series of bodies were created which were built to be identical to the humans involved in that project. They were temporarily used as foot soldiers against the Legion but their primary function was to serve as a more permanent residence for the souls of mankind. However, this is where the plan fell apart. While the human souls were trapped in what we often refer to as Gestalts, their mechanical counterparts were unleashed on the Legion. A number of androids oversaw the defeat of the Legion and it was announced that the entire world and been thoroughly cleansed of the infectious particles.”

“The Legion and the white Maso particles were reported to be cleared out completely,” Pod 153 finally spoke out. Her tone had a slight tinge of static to it, but at least she was actually able to speak.

“It is possible that previous generations of androids simply missed a spot or two. However, Pod 042 and I both agree that the likelihood of Legion involvement is very much an improbability. However, the fact that we did find Maso particles in the area is cause for concern. The mere presence of these particles indicates that the possibility of Legion activity is steadily approaching one. This should also be cause for alarm as the Legion are mostly impervious to conventional weaponry.”

A2 glinted toward her sword which was propped up against the wall. She grimaced in annoyance at that statement. It was hard for her to imagine anything that could be impaled by it and come out of the experience totally unaffected.

“Keep in mind that the probability of Legion involvement with the attack is still extremely slim,” Pod 042 interjected. “Regardless of who is responsible, they had a very clear goal in mind. They were also well equipped. They had a skilled sniper that was able to keep us pinned down until their machine gunners could take up positions above us and fire on us. The only attacker I did see was a support pod. Its colors were gray and green. The pod ignored us only to drag Unit 9S off of the roof as well as Unit 2B. When I found Unit 2B, her arm was already missing. We had neglected to work on repairing the arm of Unit 9S which leads me to believe that their intentions are to revive him elsewhere.”

The android pushed herself off of the wall and strolled over to her sword. She picked it up and inspected the blade.

042 noticed her abrupt movement and turned in her direction out of curiosity. Silently, A2 started off toward the open window.

“Warning: The area has not yet been secured. Venturing outside is not recommended,” 042 announced.

“Just wait here.”

With that, A2 leaped out of the window. While it was tempting to go after her, 042 eventually returned to his work. There was simply too much that required his attention.

* * *

 

The medical area was filled with wounded. Most of the Resistance Camp's population appeared to be there.

Devola failed to find a bed for her sister. She was forced to settle for the ground. She cleared a space out and threw a blanket over her.

She was tempted to bring Popola to their ragged tent hidden toward the back of the camp, but she needed access to the equipment in the infirmary. Of course, with so much chaos going on, she was unable to acquire any of it. Everything down to the last bandage was being occupied and nobody was about to share with those traitorous twins.

The whole thing soured Devola’s mood. Her panic was replaced with boiling rage. In the end, she was forced to simply watch over her sister and ensure that nobody stepped on her.

Just as Devola started debating whether or not she should give up and take Popola back to the tent, someone ran past her and promptly tripped over Popola’s poorly positioned legs. The Resistance member managed to regain his balance but was quick to shoot a threatening glare at the two of them.

“Goddammit! Move out of the way!”

Devola’s expression twisted with rage. She nearly lunged at the soldier. The only thing to stop her was the feeling of a soft hand taking a weak hold of her left wrist.

Devola glanced downward. Her eyes fell upon her sister who stared back at her with a frail smile.

Suddenly, all the anger she felt faded away. Devola let out a relieved sigh. She slowly sat back down and relaxed as if her sister had just cast a spell on her.


	4. Recon Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: I’d like the chance to relax a bit, but we've got another job to do. Masamune isn’t going to recruit himself. I’ve never had this guy do any work for me, but apparently, he’s the best if you want custom stuff done to your weapon.
> 
> So they say!
> 
> We’ll see if our guy lives up to the hype.

The dim, flickering torches on the walls were all to keep the darkness of this eerie building at bay. As 9S followed Pod 665 to some unknown destination, he could not help but look around and inspect the place.

The walls were engraved with detailed flourishes. There was no erosion in this building to be seen. Unlike the majority of structures left standing in the world, this one appeared to be well maintained which made sense to 9S as it was apparently a holy place.

With the way theses halls expanded, 9S found it hard to believe that they were inside one of the usual skyscrapers that infested the landscape. He suddenly became curious about what this building looked like from the outside.

“Where are we,” asked 9S.

“Our temple is located on the coast,” the pod informed. “You likely have not yet seen it from the outside. It is well hidden and does involve crossing water to reach. However, Unit 12S has recently ordered us to seize control of as much coastal land as possible. Our targets have primarily been docking areas. Our goal at the moment is to turn back any supply ships that sail in to support the local Resistance forces. So our humble temple has suddenly become quite noticeable as we have started decorating the exterior with torches and our flags.”

“How’s that been working out?”

“A well-executed plan,” 665 informed. “We have so far been able to turn three ships around. Not one bullet nor bandage has reached the Resistance since the operation was initiated. Amazingly, the Resistance has yet to investigate their lack of incoming supplies. I predict this will change soon.”

As the duo turned a corner, 9S was greeted by a lone door at the end of the hall. On either side of the door, built into the walls were two statues. They were identical to one another. Hooded sentries with swords in hand. They stood eternally on guard.

So much time and artistic energy went into this place. He could not help but realize that fact upon seeing those intricate statues standing in some random, narrow corridor. A hall where the architects simply decided to spice up with these two statues. It made 9S eager to explore the rest of this presumably vast structure just to see what out of the way monuments he would find next.

665 floated toward the door and pushed it open. A loud yet appropriate creaking noise filled the hall. The two entered the dark chamber beyond. It was average in size. When compared to the church he had just visited, it looked more in line with a closet.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the poor lighting. The halls outside were lit by mere torches but at least he could see what lied ahead without the need to strain. Apart from the blue hue of a monitor glowing in the center of the room, it was pitch black.

The holographic screen which he immediately recognized to be of YoRHa design sat atop a round table. Six pale entities surrounded the table. They sat in old chairs, each going about their own business.

They looked just like the monsters 9S saw in the mural. They were towering creatures made of salt, or at least, a substance that resembled salt.

The first one to notice the two newcomers lazily turned toward 9S and stared at him with solid white eyes. Casually, he gave the android a relaxed nod of his head as if to silently welcome him to this silent meeting. The monster promptly returned his attention to the disassembled G3 that covered the table.

9S watched as he took an old rag and started wiping down the recoil spring, cleansing it regardless of the fact that the rifle appeared to already be spotless.

“Unit 9S,” 665 interjected, breaking the silence as her voice echoed throughout the room.

“This is Jeremiah,” she proclaimed as she floated toward that bizarre creature of salt. The only one to bother greeting him.

She went down the table, naming each monster who sat at the table.

“This is Ezekiel, Isaiah, Amos, Jubal, and Obadiah. They are the last of the Legion. The last true humans to walk the earth.”

 

* * *

 

After giving up on the infirmary, Devola escorted her sister back to her tent. While conscious, Popola had a hard time exerting the energy needed to walk. As soon as she reached the tent, she collapsed on one of the two ratty mattresses that the twins occupied.

Devola sat next to the mattress. She loomed over her sister and watched her every move as if she could slip away into oblivion at any moment.

Popola eventually mustered a smile in response to Devola’s horrified expression.

“Were we the only ones who made it out of the Tower,” asked Popola. A question really only meant to ease Devola’s nerves.

“I-I think so. I didn’t stick around for long, but it took me some time to carry you out of the crater. All the while, I saw no sign of 9S.”

“Nor A2?”

Devola quietly shook her head.

“He’s probably fine,” Popola spoke softly. Her smile promptly lost most of its joy. “I’m sure you’ll see him again.”

“Uh, what!? What do you mean!?”

Popola’s smile slightly grew at the sight of her sister blushing, yet it still saddened her.

“Hey, Sis,” Popola inquired, swiftly changing the subject. “Can you do me a favor?”

 

* * *

 

9S looked around to the various pictures posted on the walls around him. The photos depicted various YoRHa androids. Most of these androids appeared to be operator models. He noticed the Commander, 21O, and 6O were all posted on this wall. Their pictures had been marked with a red X, at least those who were confirmed dead at least.

Some of these photos were taken of higher up Resistance members such as Anemone and Jackass, both of whom did not have an X over their face.

It did not take long for a new face to step into what 9S assumed was a briefing room. The same scanner model he saw back in the chapel who 665 referred to as “12S.”

Of course, 9S only noticed his presence after he burst into the room with all the grace of a drunk elephant and shouted at the unsuspecting android.

“9S,” he exclaimed as he approached his fellow scanner with a wide grin. He lifted his hand in the air as if bracing to shake 9S’ as he stepped forward.

“Welcome to the team...”

12S froze in place upon seeing 9S’ lack of a response. The silver headed boy merely glared at him.

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging, man.”

Eventually, 12S awkwardly lowered his hand and backed away. “So, you’re the dude I was supposed to stop from entering the Tower. Sorry I didn’t get to you in time, but you’re all better now, right? We saved your life, but no need to think us. Just doing a good deed and all.”

“Who are you and why am I here,” asked 9S, avoiding any further conversation that had no relevance to him.

“Well, we wanted to offer you a job,” 12S insisted. “This is your chance to join the winning side. We work for the Legion, or what’s left of ‘em. We have a goal to reach the city of Jerusalem and revive our Lord and Savior, Red Eye. I’m sure you’ve already gotten acquainted with our fellow human ancestors? They’re the best of the best and it's our job, _nay_ , our purpose to get them across the Pacific in one piece.”

9S stared at him blankly. Quietly, he waited to hear what he himself had to do with this great purpose.

“Of course, one step at a time, right,” asked 12S with a wide grin. “We have work to do before we can embark. Specifically, in the Forest Kingdom.”

Pod 665 floated in between the two androids. She immediately pointed to the holographic screen on the table which depicted a machine lifeform that 9S found to be familiar. A small biped that wore a mask and headdress reminiscent to that of the old world samurai. It took a few seconds, but 9S eventually recognized the robot on screen.

“Our mission is to recruit the machine known as Masamune to the Legion. He is well known for designing weapons of impeccable quality. He currently resides in the Forest Kingdom which makes reaching him somewhat challenging. However, the Dragon made her orders clear. We are to recruit him either willingly or by force. It matters not the method, so long as he comes out alive and in service to us.”

665 stared at 9S for a moment before continuing.

“While we have no intention to force you to assist us, we would very much appreciate your service to Red Eye.”

9S took another look around to what he fully believed was the strangest conglomeration of people he would ever encounter. He saw a long line of 5.56 round littering the table. At the end of the table, the creature 665 referred to as Isaiah was linking them together in a belt presumably to be loaded in the hulking machine gun propped up against his chair.

While they were all doing something, whether it be loading rounds into an empty magazine or cleaning their weapons, 9S found that particularity action to be somewhat hypnotic. The uniform way in which Isaiah slid each round into those metal links and connected them into a long line was oddly fascinating to watch.

Eventually, 9S snapped out of his trance.

Even after listening to 12S’ not so helpful speech, he had no idea who this ‘Red Eye’ was or why he should care.

However, his curiosity quickly got the better of him. He wanted to learn more about these so-called humans. Even if they looked nothing like what he had expected, he was interested in them at the very least. Another justification for sticking around suddenly came to his mind.

“You say you’re planning on infiltrating the Forest Kingdom,” 9S announced. “Does that mean I get to kill some machines?”

“Well, duh,” 12S said with a laugh. “Keep in mind that the mission is to seek him out and escort him to safety, but I’m sure there will be plenty of nonbelievers that’ll try to get in our way.”

The silver-haired scanner adopted a sinister grin. “Now, I’m interested.”

“I knew you’d come ‘round,” 12S proclaimed. “You’re smart like me. You’ve broken the YoRHa conditioning. You’re one step closer to obtaining enlightenment.”

“Cut the shit,” 9S snarled. “Just tell me what you want me to do.”

Pod 665 floated in front of 12S once more. It was definitely an effective way to interject herself into the conversation and worked wonders to silence that zealous cultist.

“We request that you guide Jeremiah to the Forest Kingdom. For now, we only need you two to run a reconnaissance mission. Find out if the main gates near Pascal’s village have been closed or not. Locate the most optimal route to the castle and report back here. Engaging hostiles is not allowed at this time nor will it be acceptable to be spotted.”

“So, recon only,” asked 9S. “Kind of disappointing, but I’ve got nothing better to do.”

He turned to face the table behind him. He quickly spotted Jeremiah as he was only just recently introduced to them all. Their names were fresh on his mind.

9S stared down at the pale man who had just finished cleaning and assembling his G3 and was currently in the process of applying green and brown face paint. He decorated his face in a camouflage pattern that matched the sort of colors one would expect to see in the Forest Kingdom. He used a small mirror to gain a visual of his work.

“I guess that means we’re partners,” 9S announced in a flat tone of voice. “My name is 9S.”

Jeremiah took his sweet time in coming up with a response. He kept all his attention focused on the leaf-shaped smudge of green paint he so carefully applied to his right cheek. Once he was finished, he glinted at 9S.

Silently, he held up his fist in a gesture that reminded 9S of the fist bump he used to do with his pod. 9S returned the gesture, but Jeremiah did so in a different fashion. He pulled his hand away as soon as they made contact only to wiggle his pale claws in the air as if to visually express the apparent explosive power of their fist bump.

Feeling pressured, 9S attempted to do the same.

 

* * *

 

A small green lizard crawled up the scalding walls of a ruined building on some nameless street. It sat there for some time only to bolt when Devola finally lunged at it. She groaned in frustration after losing sight of her prey so quickly.

After resuming her search for a few more minutes, she came across another garden variety lizard scrambling around on the sidewalk up ahead. She lowered her stance and crept forward. She came to a stop when she saw the lizard freeze in place.

She took the opportunity and leaped at it with hopes of landing on it. Her hopes were quickly squashed when she landed on the burning concrete with nothing to wrap her hand around. She could feel the empty space between her hands were the lizard used to be.

She groaned to herself in disappointment and lifted her head up off the ground. Devola immediately spotted that same lizard standing a few feet away from her. It watched her, probably just to taunt her before running off into the nearest patch of grass never to be seen again.

“Your tails will grow back,” she called out. “Just let me have a couple of them!”

Devola stood up after the heat from the ground became too much to bear. Her attention was soon drawn to an alleyway nearby. It led to that same open field in the middle of the ruins where all of those gunshots could be heard. Everything had gone silent now, but she was curious about who was trying to kill who earlier.

Cautiously, she made her way to the path. She needed to find lizards anyway so she saw no harm in venturing a little deeper into the ruins than she had planned.

While the fighting sounded as if it had died down long ago, Devola still remained cautious. She crept forward and did not stray too far from the cover of the various buildings around her.

She reached the end of the alleyway in no time but was not so quick to run out into the opening. She scanned the area up ahead and saw no one. Slowly, she poked her head around the corner and looked up to the tall building where she had heard the first gunshots. Just as quickly as she had poked her head around the corner, she immediately disappeared behind the wall once more.

The last thing she really needed at that point was to have her head blown off.

 

* * *

 

9S followed Jeremiah through the dark halls until they came to a new set of doors. Calmly, Jeremiah lightly kicked one of the dual doors open. 9S was immediately assaulted by a wave of sunlight.

Once his eyes adjusted to the change in lighting, 9S took a look around. He could see a row of windows on the other side of the room where the sunlight was flooding in. All across the room were various red-eyed machines and even a couple infected androids who instantly froze like statues and all turned their attention to Jeremiah.

While 9S caught a few of their glances simply for being a new face, the majority of their attention was drawn to the pale monster of a man in front of the scanner. Jeremiah ignored their gasps of awe and amazed looks. He simply marched forward with his hands tucked away in his pockets. 9S hurried after him.

“ _A real human_ ,” he heard someone whisper.

“ _Maybe we can be like him one day_ ,” another whispered.

“It’ll never happen,” 9S murmured to himself in absolute disgust. He wanted nothing more than to walk over to them and cut them in half, but he refrained from indulging in his fantasies.

A random biped stepped forward. The short machine fidgeted nervously, practically shaking as it spoke.

“Oh great warrior of Red Eye,” the machine inquired, causing Jeremiah to stop and casually look down at the little robot. “What wisdom from heaven do you have to bestow on us mere mortals?”

Jeremiah reached under his helmet and scratched his head in confusion. Suddenly, he gave the machine a thumbs up and carried on to the front entrance.

Awestruck by this display, the small biped mimicked the same gesture. “It’s an evocation of the gods,” the machine proclaimed aloud. “Red Eye be praised!”

9S watched with mild interest as the fanatical crowd all started simultaneously giving each other a thumbs up, truly believing it to be some divine sign. He noticed a few of the androids in the back who were not participating, clearly already understanding the gesture.

With a sigh, he followed Jeremiah. The two quickly left the room for the outside world without much desire to stick around.

Briefly, 9S wondered about those androids whose eyes were as red as the machines that infested the area. He recalled 12S who also had those same glowing red eyes. A strong indication of a Logic Virus. He soon made it his personal mission to find a mirror as soon as possible. He found himself curious if he too was inflicted with the same disease.


	5. Order 4D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: I recall watching one of those missiles being fired awhile back. Those two weapons of mass destruction have been looming over the church for some time now. Our neglect of them was really the only reason those loyalist scumbags were able to nab one for themselves.
> 
> Granted, I think that sea-fearing behemoth of a machine was going to launch some sort of EMP on shore, so I'm grateful for not dying, but the loss of one of those missiles is unacceptable.
> 
> On the bright side, at least we know they still work. Now, to put them to use. If I walk outside today and find nobody working on turning that thing around then somebody is going to be executed… Publicly.

 

A group of cultists led 12S outside shortly after 9S and Jeremiah were sent off on their little reconnaissance mission. The android and his followers came to a stop just outside of the church entrance. Looming in the skyline was an enormous missile.

12S and his cluster of followers approached a lone machine standing near the coast. A medium biped with an old visor cap sitting atop its head. The machine immediately stood up as straight as its awkwardly shaped body would allow.

The machine promptly lifted its right arm to salute the scanner. 12S could still recall a time when his congregation used a salute that was just a little too similar to YoRHa's.

The first order 12S issued the moment he rose to his current position was to have that bothersome display changed.

In response, 12S casually lifted his hand upward and gave the machine a smug smile.

"Rommel," 12S greeted. "Back already I see. So what do you have to report?"

The machine promptly pointed to the dormant weapon of mass destruction.

"We have determined that firing the missile is not ideal especially when considering where you want it to land. The thing is simply too powerful to be used at such a close range. I have placed guards around the platform to ensure it's protection, but using it is unthinkable. I also must remind you that the Dragon instructed us not to toy with such a weapon. I tend to agree with her."

That smile on 12S' face instantly vanished. He slowly stepped forward and stared Rommel down.

"The Dragon also isn't here right now, is she? So who do you answer to?"

"Sir, Father Sade is normally the second in command,"

12S smirked in a rather mocking fashion. He glanced around to his group of followers who all snickered at Rommel's expense.

12S then looked back at Rommel with a not so serious expression. "Rommel," he explained in a condescending tone.

"Father Sade is a very good preacher and a wonderful spiritual leader. However, I am Red Eye's prophet. I see what the Lord sees. I am also concerned not just with the ideology but the defense of those who follow it. My job is to protect our home, loved ones, and faith. I have had visions of our destruction and that is what I work to avoid."

"Hail the prophet," a random machine shouted behind 12S.

Their prophet glanced over his shoulder and gave the crowd behind him a modest smile. He quickly shifted his gaze back to Rommel.

"So when God's voice tells you to do something, you do it. Rommel, I'm not asking you to fire the thing. I'm asking... actually, I'm ordering you to prep it. Set the coordinates and leave it. I only want to be able to drop that thing on Anemone's head at a moment's notice. There's nothing wrong with being prepared. Understood?"

Rommel responded with a defeated nod.

"Yes, sir."

12S gave Rommel a pleasant smile.

"Good, now carry on."

* * *

As soon as 9S and Jeremiah emerged from the tunnel linking the Coast to the City Ruins, Jeremiah immediately crouched down and scanned the surrounding area. 9S waited until he finally gave the signal to move forward. Jeremiah silently stood up after a few seconds and beckoned for him to follow.

9S reached the tunnel's exit and stared into the distance. The place was completely deserted. Free of both android and machine occupation. There were plenty of corpses littering the ground around the Tower, but not much else.

The android noticed a dead machine lying on the ground at his feet. A rusty blade stuck out of its torso. It was a machine's weapon, but it was better than nothing. 9S yanked the blade free from the corpse and turned to Jeremiah who already had his G3 ready.

Cautiously, the two moved deeper into the pit. 9S let Jeremiah lead the way. As they descended, 9S studied their surroundings. Once they reached the entrance to the to the Tower, 9S stopped while Jeremiah kept moving without realizing that his android companion was no longer making an effort to keep up.

He searched the ground for their corpses but found nothing. 9S could not find a single clue that would at least hint at the fate of those red-headed twins. Out of curiosity, he slowly approached the Tower. It was still wide open. He walked up the stairs in search of their bodies. Eventually, he reached the elevator which did appear to be operational.

While entering the upper levels of the Tower seemed pointless to him, 9S did at least attempt to approach the Tower until he felt a brittle hand grip his shoulder. It was enough to make his synthetic heart sink into his stomach. He jolted and turned back to see Jeremiah standing behind him. The pale creature nodded his head towards the exit.

9S shrugged and followed Jeremiah back the way he came, but not without catching one last glimpse of the elevator as he went.

When they stepped outside, 9S noticed his reflection in a puddle that he accidentally stepped in. He only gave himself a second glance when he saw something strange about his reflection. He took a look at his eyes. They were as red as 12S' were. He only took a minute to acknowledge this before he put it out of his mind and left the Tower behind completely.

* * *

The duo strolled through the grassy fields for some time without interruption. Out of nowhere, Jeremiah abruptly crouched down and held a hand out in the air, silently gesturing for 9S to hold his position.

9S lowered himself down into the grass despite being unable to see what Jeremiah was trying to conceal himself from. His uniform helped him blend in well to the tight corridors and alleyways that lied deeper in the city ruins, but out in an open field, neither he nor his silent companion could conceal themselves all that well.

A silent interval of time passed until Jeremiah moved. It was a rather tense moment for 9S as he never did figure out what grabbed Jeremiah's attention. What felt like an eternity of anticipation was ended by an abrupt torrent of gunfire.

9S saw something bolt through the grass up ahead. That movement was quickly stopped when Jeremiah unloaded a three or four round burst of .308 in the assailant's direction. 9S jumped at the unexpected sound. His ears were left ringing long after Jeremiah ceased fire.

The two simultaneously stood up and cautiously approached the last spot that unknown hostile was spotted. They came to a stop in front of a bleeding YoRHa android lying on the ground. She was infected by a logic virus. That fact became obvious when 9S caught a glimpse of her red eyes. She died a second later.

"She looked like she was running," 9S announced quietly. "Why waste the ammo?"

Jeremiah reached into one of the pockets of his vest and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. He silently handed the note to 9S and resumed his march forward, stepping over the corpse as he went.

9S unfolded the paper and was immediately greeted by the same symbol he saw posted everywhere back at the church. Those conjoined heads were printed on the top of the page and there were a few lines of text underneath it. 9S read over the contents all while trying to keep up with his companion.  The note read:

" _To all fellow servants of Red Eye. From this day forth, there will be a zero tolerance policy for YoRHa and their sympathizers. I hereby order the extermination of such parties on sight. Their existence is a threat to our cause._

_Unless otherwise specified by the Dragon herself; all YoRHa androids, Resistance members, and old guard machine lifeforms are to be killed upon contact. The only means of contact you are to have wit these groups should be a confrontation. Their reign of terror cannot be endorsed by our silence any longer._ _Neglect to follow this order is a punishable offense._

_I also demand that my faithful followers keep a close eye on those around you. If you suspect your neighbor of harboring sympathies for these heretical groups then it is your duty to report such acts to either myself, Father Sade, or any trusted guardian of the faith._

_Order 4D is now in effect!_

_-12S"_

9S folded the paper back up and tucked it away into his pocket. The code name for this order sounded like the designation of YoRHa android, but 9S failed to recall ever meeting someone with that name.

The note confused him as he recalled seeing plenty of androids residing in that ominous little church, yet this order appeared to be targeting androids primarily with only a brief mention of machine lifeforms. He could almost feel the hatred boiling within the person who typed it up and printed it out en masse.

There was no date on the paper, but he could tell it was old just by the yellow hue that covered the page. The memo must have been handed out long before 9S was ever made aware of this group's existence.

9S looked up to see that Jeremiah was already leaving him behind. He immediately bolted after the pale entity to avoid being left behind.

* * *

The sound of a nearby rifle going off caused A2 to jump to her feet. She was investigating the ruined building the pods had occupied before the attack when she heard it. A2 immediately threw herself out of the way of the nearest window. She slammed herself against the wall and crept toward the window.

She briefly considered the possibility that some Resistance fighter was just having fun with the selector on their issued rifle but given the circumstances, she did not stake her life on those odds. A2 slowly poked her head around the corner and peered into the open field below.

She was quick to spot the culprits. Two figures stood off in the distance. She failed to get a good look at them. One of them was particularly short, at least, in comparison to the other which in terms of height was practically a monster. The taller figure did appear to have something in their arms that resembled a rifle.

A2 immediately ducked behind cover as they continued in their approach. She made no attempt to give away her position. For all she knew, they were the same people who attacked pods 153 and 042. Naturally, she kept out of sight.

* * *

9S and Jeremiah left the open fields without any further opposition.

The duo prepared to round a corner when a figure emerged from the other side of the wall to their right. They stopped immediately, Jeremiah took aim with his rifle as a red-headed android walked directly in their path.

She jumped in surprise upon seeing them as well as the .30 caliber sized barrel pointed at her head. 9S froze at the sight of her. There was no mistaking that face. She had an exotic look about her. Wavy pinkish-purple hair, aqua colored eyes, and an unusual outfit that lent itself more to the desert than it did an urban wasteland.

" _Devola_ ," 9S stammered in surprise.

Devola noticed 9S, but her expression of relief to see him alive was quickly diminished at the sight of the creature standing next to him. An unnaturally white, humanoid entity with skin resembling salt. Despite the long years it had been since she had faced the Legion and the countless memories that had been forcefully erased from her mind, she could still recognize one when she saw it.

Her synthetic blood ran cold. She froze in place without the slightest idea as to how to defend herself. The creature lowered its weapon but that did not mean anything to her. She had no means of killing it. No means whatsoever of fighting back. The sword at her hip was useless as it bared no magical properties. She could wack the creature with that hunk of steel all she liked, but it would have no effect on the salty beast.

However, it would only take a second for that demon of the past to tear her in half as if her body was made entirely of wet tissue paper. The thing could riddle her with enough bullet holes that would make a wheel of Swiss cheese blush.

She slowly glanced toward 9S who looked at her with confusion. The color had drained from her face. She looked as though she had seen a ghost. His presence did not reassure her in the slightest. She noticed his eyes. Those once bright and lively orbs of blue were now blood red. The only question she had regarding him was whether or not he was infected with a logic virus or something else entirely. The fact that 9S and this abomination were casually strolling through the ruins together was another can of worms entirely.

"Uh… 9S," Devola stammered without a hint of the fiery confidence that 9S had come to associate so strongly with her. "I-I s-s-see you made it out of the… the T-Tower in one piece. W-who's your friend?"

9S looked toward his pale crony. After reading note regarding Order 4D, 9S was surprised that Jeremiah had yet to put a hole through Devola's forehead. 9S was grateful that he had not yet, but he still found it quite odd that Jeremiah had not made an attempt on her life whereas he had no problem gunning that other android down as soon as she was spotted.

"This is Jeremiah," 9S admitted, much to Devola's surprise. "He and I are running an errand for some…  _friends_  of ours."

"Oh, is that so," asked Devola. She was at a loss for words but she eventually managed to say something. "It probably isn't any of my business, but do you m-mind if I ask what exactly?"

The unlikely partners glanced at each other before 9S came clean.

"We're running some reconnaissance on the Forest Kingdom. Now that I think about it… you might be able to save us a trip through that landfill Pascal calls a village. Do you know off the top of your head if they've lifted the draw bridge or is it still down?"

Devola shrugged her shoulders. "I-I don't know. I haven't been down that way in a while."

9S gave her an understanding nod. "That's fine. I guess we'll find out. Otherwise, we can always take the long way in. So uh… mind if I ask what  _you_  are doing out here?"

Devola perked up in response. "Oh, me? My sister is recovering from some injuries. She wanted a drink, but there's only one way my sister will ever drink alcohol. She likes this nasty mixture involving certain ingredients, so I'm out here trying to find rat and lizard tails."

Devola was amazed at what she had just said. Standing before her was a red-eyed Type S android and his new best friend who also happened to be a salt monster, and despite all of that, she still managed to sound like the odd one.

"Interesting," 9S replied in a puzzled tone. "Well, we won't keep you from it any longer. I'll see you around."

His voice sounded different for some reason and Devola never could figure out if it was just her imagination or not. He was definitely acting strangely. More so than he did after 2B had passed. His voice lacked even the grief and rage she had grown used to when interacting with him in the past. His tone was just as lifeless as his eyes.

The duo started off down the same direction they were headed. Oddly enough, Jeremiah never did try to kill her. She never considered the Legion to be anything, but mindless killing machines, yet 9S had somehow managed to create a little allegiance with at least one of them.

As much as she wanted to let them both go, she could not leave him alone with such a creature. She had no means of defending herself let alone someone else from this threat, but she still followed them. Eventually, they noticed her and Devola immediately regretted her decision. To her surprise, however, that behemoth of salt did not lung at her. 9S muttered something to him and turned to Devola.

"You want to come with us?"

"Yes," Devola said with a nod. "If it ain't too much trouble then I would like to help out. Besides, I'm more likely to find lizards down that way than I am here."

Both 9S and much to Devola's shock, Jeremiah nodded in response and resumed their walk. She was hesitant but felt as though she had no choice but to follow them. She could always regroup with her sister later, but if she let them go, her chances of finding them later would be slim. Simply allowing even one of those salty critters to roam freely did not sit well with her.

The mere fact that this Legion had not outright butchered 9S or herself on sight was remarkable. The fact that there was still at least one of them left was just as remarkable. The whole situation was a shock to her systems.

She simply had to learn more.


	6. Pascal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: Sometimes I can still see my old partner. It always happens when everyone else is resting. Only when I'm in my chambers alone, studying the Holy Doctrine when I see her. She stares at me with those dead eyes.
> 
> It can't be the mushrooms. Maybe I'm just seeing things, but it's not the mushrooms. They show me the path to Red Eye's inevitable resurrection, and by extension, all of Revelation. What I see in the darkness of my own bedroom is not of divine origin. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Between 9S and his glowing red eyes which were never a good sign, and the WCS infected human traveling with them, it proved to be a rather tense stroll. Devola kept a close eye on both of them and walked a safe distance behind them.

Aside from 9S' eyes, there were no outright obvious symptoms of a logic virus. She could not tell what was wrong with him simply by looking. He acted no differently than when they had last interacted with each other. He was still not the ray of sunshine and cheer that she remembered watching from a distance, but that was probably never going to change. However, he was able to hold conversations and act reasonably normal.

This was normally not the case for anyone infected with a logic virus. In the end, it was impossible for her to tell if 9S was behaving any worse than before he first entered the Tower. All along the way to Pascal's village, the group crossed paths with three separate machines. None of which made any hostile moves against them, but that did not stop 9S from going out of his way to chase them down and butcher them.

This was not at all new for him. She was fully aware of what he was doing in between the rare times when he would return to the Resistance Camp. His eyes were still blue then, but his behavior was the same. The description simply did not fit the actions of an android afflicted by a logic virus. Even his eyes did not quite match those seen on berserk androids.

Normally, the eyes of an infected android would only glow red at the center of the pupils. This was not the case with 9S. His irises were colored red, and while they did glow ever so slightly, the color appeared more natural despite it being anything but natural.

She briefly entertained the idea that he was somehow infected with White Chlorination Syndrome. It made no sense to her, but given the pale monstrosity in front of her, she no longer had such a hard time in believing the impossible.

Jeremiah was another enigma she could not quite comprehend. He appeared to be incredibly intelligent for a Legion. He had not spoken a word, but he was still able to interact with 9S through non-verbal means. He toted around that large battle rifle as if he knew how to operate it, and he even appeared to have at least attempted to add camouflage face paint to his cheeks. He had missed a few spots which that combined with his arms and height was what truly gave away the fact that he was indeed Legion. However, the fact that he knew how to create a camouflage pattern out of paint and new the implications of adding it over his face was incredibly strange to see.

Just as 9S did not entirely fit the description of someone infected with a logic virus, Jeremiah seemed a little different than the countless hordes of Legion she and her sister faced so long ago.

Devola continued to watch 9S more so than Jeremiah mostly out of concern and curiosity, but in part, out of habit. She could never quite figure out what compelled her to stare at him, whether it was now or the countless times he strolled into camp either with or without 2B accompanying him.

Her sister always seemed to know what was the cause of her wandering eyes. It vexed her to no end.

Another feeling she never could quite shake was a strange excitement to hear that 2B was finally dead. She remembered getting that sense of relief and demented enthusiasm when she learned of this news at around the same time she and her sister worked to repair 9S after they had found him lying at the bottom of the ravine. That feeling, she never quite could understand nor did she ever want to.

As she continued to stare at 9S, she eventually noticed something new about him. His left arm was not his own. It took her a moment to realize it. At first, she simply thought he was just wearing one of 2B's gloves, but the shape of the hand simply did not fit him at all. It was a woman's hand and forearm yet it was attached in place of his own.

Before her imagination could run wild, she broke the silence in an attempt to quell her curiosity.

"If ya don't mind me asking. What exactly happened to your arm?"

9S did not stop moving forward. He briefly glanced over his shoulder at her. Devola caught a brief glimpse of his unusual irises.

"That's none of your business. It's my arm and that's all you need to know."

Devola did not press him any further for information. The sight of his eyes alone was enough to reassure her about one of the many questions plaguing her mind.

The redness in them truly was not characteristic of a logic virus. They were also familiar for some reason. It only took a few seconds for Devola to remember that blond scanner she met earlier on. He had the same eyes and even gave faint mentions of the Legion. She wondered if he and 9S knew each other. As much as she wanted to ask, however, she never mustered the courage to say anything.

Thus she continued on in total silence.

* * *

 

They reached Pascal's village with little interference. 9S scanned the area for any signs of life, but for once, nobody appeared to be home. He saw no "children" playing on the ground below the tree houses. There were no machines anywhere to be seen.

"Huh," 9S mumbled. "Odd."

"Where is everybody," asked Devola.

"Probably dead," 9S blurted out with no semblance of sympathy in his tone. "Makes our job easier. We shouldn't leave any witnesses behind, but the Dragon did order us not to kill anyone after we enter the forest."

Devola tilted her head curiously at his remark. "Dragon?"

9S turned back to her and simply shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

He and Jeremiah then headed off down the path ahead. Devola stood there for a while, watching the two of them as they traveled down the hill leading to the entrance of the Forest Kingdom. She could recall hearing something about a dragon or at least an artifact codenamed "Dragon" but she never was able to remember much about the subject.

After it was clear that nothing was coming to her, she sighed and chalked it up to one of the many questions she would have to direct to her sister rather than 9S. She brushed the question to the back of her mind and rushed after them. It was easy for her to catch up to their slow pace.

About halfway between the apparently abandoned village and the draw bridge, Jeremiah came to a sudden stop. He knelt down and 9S did the same while Devola was left standing there in confusion. She decided to simply do as they did despite not knowing what was going on.

Jeremiah gestured for them to stay put while he slowly advanced down the path. He made his way toward the tree line to his right and kept himself hidden in the brush. For a while, he ventured out of sight. 9S and Devola stayed in that spot for what started to feel like an unusually long time. Neither of them knew exactly what to do with themselves until Jeremiah reemerged from the brush about ten minutes later.

After clearing the tree line, Jeremiah stood upright and flung his rifle around his shoulder and held it by the sling. 9S and Devola both stood up as they no longer saw a point in keeping low to the ground.

"Well," asked 9S. "Is it still open?"

Jeremiah slowly shook his head at the question.

"Figures. I wonder if anyone's even still alive in there. Surely Masamune must be. The Dragon would know, wouldn't she?"

Jeremiah gave his partner an honest shrug of his shoulders.

"Before we head back, let's just double check the ravine and make sure they haven't closed that area off as well," 9S requested. "I doubt they could even pull that off, but it's better than getting the whole group together and being met with yet another dead end."

* * *

 

A2 was careful in not attracting attention to herself as she followed the trio through the ruins up until they reached the village. It took her some time to figure out who was involved with this unlikely band of assailants. Devola and 9S were easy enough to identify, yet despite their presence, she made no attempt to announce herself to them.

She did not dare giveaway her position knowing what 9S and that camouflage-clad monster would do in response. To an extent, she became suspicious of Devola who appeared to be all too willing to assist the duo in whatever they were trying to achieve.

A2 was relieved that nobody was around to get in their way. She witnessed them stop and kill several machines that were not so much as looking at them funny. She would have predicted the same for Pascal. However, Pascal's absence made her all the more nervous.

After scanning her surroundings, A2 decided to let the trio venture on while she took to the nearest ladder and scaled up the massive tree that acted as the foundation for the now abandoned village.

Once she reached the first walkway, A2 began searching for any sign of life. She barged into whatever doors dotted her path. She found nothing. She eventually reached the shack at the center of it all. Pascal was normally always hanging around in this area.

She was about to open the door to this next house when she suddenly stopped herself. A harsh realization abruptly swept over her.

"Guess it wouldn't make sense for him to be here," A2 muttered to herself after spending only a few minutes searching the village. "He has no memory of this place so how would he even know it's here?"

She turned away but just as she was about to walk off and metaphorically kick herself for losing 9S' trail, she heard a muffled voice sound off from behind. She could not make out any distinct details about what she heard, but she knew it was a voice.

A2 whipped around and threw the door open without warning. She froze at the sight of a couple of small bipeds surrounding an all too familiar machine. There were four altogether. The group all simultaneously turned and met A2's gaze.

"Pascal," she asked, never once breaking her gaze from the tall green-eyed machine in front of her.

Pascal was frozen in place. Even without the ability to show facial expressions, A2 could still sense his fear. He clearly did not recognize her, nor should he.

"Sorry to intrude," A2 continued in an attempt to put all of the machines at ease. "But there are some… uh… bad people outside and I wanted to make sure you were… safe."

Her monotone voice did not portray her concern very well at all, but it at least helped to put Pascal at ease.

" _Then shut the door_ ," he abruptly ordered. His tone made it sound like more of a request or plea, but A2 did as told.

* * *

 

9S led the way back to the village. He came to a stop and quietly looked around. There was still no one to be seen. At first, he thought nothing of it, but he soon started growing suspicious. For all he knew, it could be an ambush.

That thought alone gave him more than enough reason to start kicking down doors. Without saying a word to the others, 9S abruptly advanced on a nearby ladder.

"Where are you going," asked Devola. Neither she nor Jeremiah seemed willing to follow him.

9S turned back to them and pointed accusingly at the houses overhead.

"We should secure this area," he insisted. "This place could be full of potential witnesses who would gladly inform the Forest Kingdom about our stroll through these parts."

"Are you nuts? What the hell is Pascal gonna do?"

9S glared at her to which Devola only responded by glaring right back at him.

"No witnesses."

With that said, 9S started climbing the ladder. However, just as he was about to place his first foot on the ladder, he froze in place at the sound of a voice ripping through his static thoughts.

"Do not waste the effort. Besides, I ordered you not to kill anyone near the Forest Kingdom. You can come back here on your own time and burn this place to the ground should you feel so inclined."

9S promptly backed away from the ladder. This action earned him a quizzical gaze from Devola who did not seem to be subject to that same voice. He made no comment and simply resumed his trek out of the forest. Jeremiah and Devola glanced at each other curiously before following behind.

* * *

 

Pascal positioned himself in between A2 and the smaller machines who he quietly gestured to stand at the back of the room.

He stood there quietly while A2 repeatedly cracked open the door and peeked outside. She did not say a word herself, either. She watched 9S on the ground as he advanced on the village. It was quite a worrying sight.

She was immediately relieved to see him walk away a few seconds later. After the group disappeared from her sight, A2 slowly shut the door and turned back to Pascal.

"Who are you," asked Pascal. "Are those people still out there."

"No, I think they're gone. Stay here for a while in case they come back."

A2 glanced back at Pascal and the machines hiding behind him. She briefly wondered where they had come from, but never did bother asking. She saw no reason to linger here any further, so she opened the door and headed outside.

"See you around..."

Pascal made no effort to chase after A2, but he did call out to her.

"Wait! Who are you? What's going on?"

A2 ignored his questions and promptly threw the door shut as she left.

* * *

 

The journey to the bottom of the ravine was as perilous as expected. After crossing a narrow path all the way down, they finally reached the bottom of the cliff. Relief washed over 9S. He knew such a fall could not actually kill him, but it would be more painful.

They moved past the jagged rocks in silence. As they drew closer to their objective, 9S suddenly heard that voice again.

"You're being followed."

9S and Jeremiah instantly stopped moving. Devola did not even notice until she walked off only to realize that nobody was advancing with her. She turned around just in time to see Jeremiah spin around and aim his G3 straight ahead.

He and 9S pulled their weapons as if they were in complete synchronization. They stared down the path only to find nothing there. Of course, that did not mean much of anything to them.

"What's up," asked Devola.

9S crouched down next to Jeremiah and waved her down. She walked over to them, this time without making any effort to hide. She stood over them which caused 9S to glare at her and gesture for her to keep low.

Devola rolled her eyes and sat down.

"Someone's following us," 9S whispered. "Go on ahead. Make sure the path to the Forest Kingdom is clear and come back here."

"Since when did I become your lackey," asked Devola.

"Just do it!"

Devola huffed and finally complied with his demand.

As soon as she was gone, 9S leaned over and whispered to Jeremiah.

"Do you think the Dragon was referring to her," he asked as he gestured toward Devola.

"How long are we going to let her follow us around, anyway?"

The answers he seemed did not come from Jeremiah, but rather, the dominating voice in his head.

"Those red-headed twins will play an important role in future operations. Keep in mind that I only need one alive for the task at hand. If you think you can kill her and get away with it then feel free, but do not take any unnecessary risks. Ruin my plans and I'll roast you alive, boy."

It did not take her long at all to return. She tapped 9S she n the shoulder to gain his attention. He glared at her over his shoulder.

"It's clear. You're welcome by the way."

9S nodded, but he did not look away so quickly. He watched her for a moment. It was long enough for Devola to take notice.

"What's wrong?"

Finally, he turned away, once again without saying a word.

* * *

 

A2 bolted back up the winding path leading to the top of the cliff. She intended to follow them all the way down. She only barely managed to catch up to them before they wandered too far away.

She saw the trio as they abruptly started advancing on the cliff side only after going through the effort of climbing down it mere moments ago. More importantly, she noticed that their weapons were all drawn.

She could not be certain if they had spotted her at some point or if something else had spooked them, but A2 had no desire to wait and find out.

It mattered not to her what caused them to keep their guard up. 9S was among that group which meant that a fight for her life was practically guaranteed.

She kept low and moved up the rocky path as quickly as she possibly could. There was no other way they could go but up this path. A2 could not think of another way up the ravine.

A2 would simply have to hide in the nearby ruins and wait for them to emerge. Only then would she bother following them again.


	7. Recruitment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: How long does it take to run a single recon mission to and from enemy lines!? If we don't wrap up in the Forest Kingdom before the Dragon returns, then she'll be angry with me. And when the boss lady gets mad, things suddenly start catching fire.
> 
> Note to future self: Find a fire extinguisher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've had this chapter done for like a month now. I only just now remembered to upload it.

Devola followed 9S and Jeremiah all the way to the coastline. All the while she had no idea what was going. She did not bother asking. Jeremiah would only meet her question with ghostly silence, and a strange look on his face that seemed to indicate that he wanted to answer but was unable to.

9S, if he were to acknowledge her at all, would probably only give her some non-answer such as "Mind your own business," or the classic, "It does not concern you."

She gave up a while ago and only hoped someone else would give her the answers she craved.

Eventually, the trio came to a stop in front of a large building which directly faced the ocean. The building seemed to sneak up on Devola. She did not notice it until she was right up on it. Once she saw it, she could not quite understand how she missed it in the first place. It was a massive cathedral that completely contradicted the surrounding architecture.

Hanging just above the entrance to the structure was an enormous red banner. The flag was adorned with an odd insignia depicting two conjoining heads sprouting wings. She had never seen it before, but she immediately knew it would be worth researching.

"What is this place," Devola immediately inquired. She knew she was not going to get a straight answer but she felt compelled to say something.

"That is none of your concern," 9S responded without hesitation.

Devola glared at him and balled her hands into fists.

"Stop saying that! You brought me here, at least tell me where  _ _here__  is!"

"Nobody brought you here," 9S argued. "You followed us."

"Yeah, well nobody tried to stop me."

9S stared at her for a moment with those enigmatic red eyes as if pondering a response. Finally, he said something.

"We were instructed not to. She told us it was fine."

Devola furrowed a curious eyebrow at him. "Wait. Who told you?"

9S appeared genuinely confused at first. He gave her a strange look as if she were asking a question she should have already known the answer to.

"Can't you hear her voice?"

"Who's voice," asked Devola.

She looked at him with concern. 9S' expression swiftly soured when he saw it. Did she honestly think he was crazy? He twirled around and walked toward the entrance without saying another word.

Devola glanced to Jeremiah who appeared to be just as confused with this change in behavior as she was.

"What? Was it something I said," Devola inquired.

Jeremiah shrugged his shoulders at her. He then headed off toward the entrance and beckoned for Devola to follow.

She had some reasonable hesitation when it came to following this suspicious duo into the dark and eerie cathedral but with no better options made available to her, she eventually complied.

* * *

 

Devola slowly walked through the torchlit halls. Tension built up as she turned every corner in anticipation for something to jump out at her. The walls had a constant stream of horrifying carvings that did not help the situation.

She did not dare allow herself to fall behind Jeremiah. She assumed 9S was somewhere up ahead but she never did manage to see him. For all she knew, he stormed off down a random corridor.

Jeremiah reached a closed door after a few minutes of seemingly aimless wandering. The doors opened up and she followed him inside. 9S could be seen walking toward the far corner of the room where he stood there and glared at everyone.

Devola scanned the rest of the area only to find that her current worst fear had become a reality. She saw not just one WCS infected human but six of them. They all sat around a table in the center of the room, heavily armed and all of them were staring right back at her.

A YoRHa support pod floated toward her, paying no mind to the Legion in the room.

"Greetings Devola," the pod announced in an oddly friendly tone. Somehow the little pod knew her name without needing to ask which creeped Devola out quite effectively.

"Welcome to our humble temple of the one and only god, Red Eye. This is the forward base and central logistics command of all Legion operations in the region. My name is Pod 665 and on behalf of Red Eye himself, his faithful Legion, and the Dragon, I would like to offer you and your sister a position in our coming crusade."

"Hold on," Devola said hesitantly. "I'm still trying to understand what's going on around here."

665 floated in silence for a few seconds. "I'm sorry. I believe it was 9S' responsibly to answer such questions. Has he not assisted you as of yet?"

"Nobody informed me of this," 9S sternly interjected. "I'm still wondering why she's even here."

Devola responded with a smug smile. "As a matter of fact, he's been very difficult and uncooperative."

"I apologize for this misunderstanding," 665 proclaimed. "He must have not been properly briefed on the mission."

"I was told to find an entrance to the Forest Kingdom," 9S snapped. "Nothing more."

Pod 665 ignored him entirely. "Please follow me. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have."

She then turned back to 9S and Jeremiah. "Unit 12S will be here shortly to debrief you on the reconnaissance mission. Please stand by."

* * *

 

Pod 665 switched on her flashlight which made a world of difference for Devola. She managed to see the finer details in the wall carvings. Most of the imagery involved what looked like cherubs.

"What are all these images on the walls?"

"Those carvings are a continuous issue for controversy within our order," 665 informed. "It is unclear who made these illustrations or when they were added. However, Unit 12S has made an effort to have them removed. There is nothing to truly indicate what they depict, but my dear android believes them to be in violation of our commandments."

Devola found the way she spoke of this android interesting. Never once had she heard a support pod refer so personally to their assigned android.

However, she had another question on her mind.

"What are these commandments? Which one are they violating?"

"They essentially prevent the depiction or discussion of the Cherubs."

"So, who are the Cherubs?  A symbol?  Important servants of Red Eye?"

Pod 665 stopped and turned to face Devola. "Even if I knew the answer it would be a grave sin to say. I strongly advise against posing similar questions to the other church members. Doing so would violate the commandments."

Devola wanted to know more about these "Cherubs." It was just another mystery to be added to this growing pile of mysteries that she managed to stumble into.

Despite her curiosity, she knew 665 was giving her that warning for a reason. While it was an unintentional effect, it struck fear into her. It was leagues more intimidating than 9S' empty stare and dismissive responses. Devola decided not to pursue this topic any further.

"I see," Devola muttered. As she spoke, 665 resumes her venture down the hall and Devola quietly followed.

"My next question would be... Those pale soldiers back there.  How are they still alive? There was a massive effort to erase maso-related particles from the planet and it was largely successful.  How are there still active Legion forces after all that?  I, of course, mean no offense."

"No offense taken," 665 replied. "The Dragon took control of the wider force when Red Eye was defeated in Jerusalem. All but six were completely eradicated. They were former special forces in a particularly strong military that reigned supreme in the final era of man. Their skills combined with their improved strength and durability when they became blessed by Red Eye. They were the best fighters available to the Legion. They were ordered to go into hiding until recently."

Devola nodded her head thankfully. It was a vague answer but was far better than, "That's not your concern."

"I think I only have one more question for now," Devola announced with a hint of doubt in her tone.

She knew she had a thousand more to ask but they simply were not surfacing when she needed them to. In fact, she knew there was another big one that was just barely escaping her memory. Once again, she felt as though she needed her sister to get to the bottom of this crisis. She could not deal with it on her own.

"Why are my sister and I invited to join you?"

"We understand that you Devola and Popola models have been employed against us in the past. We also know you are held responsible for crimes you did not commit. We understand your pain and are willing to look past our differences. We value you and your sister and hope for a long lasting friendship. I promise that you will not be treated with any further disrespect as I know you are when in the presence of the Resistance."

That response was particularly appealing to Devola. It gave her virtually nothing in the way of actual information, but the answer did make her feel welcome. For a moment, she almost forgot that she was speaking with the enemy. This little pod seemed to know how to sell an agenda.

"Thanks for all your information," Devola soon concluded. "My sister is still back at the Resistance Camp. Can I go back and get her? I'm sure she will have more questions for you."

"That won't be an issue," 665 proclaimed. "I will escort you to the exit. I only request that you tell no one else of our location. I also ask that you direct any future questions you may have to me. The other members of the church do not wish to disclose certain subjects, and it may get you into trouble."

"Noted. Thanks again for the help."

* * *

 

12S entered the room and immediately gave 9S a smug smile. The pale creatures mostly ignored his entry, leaving 9S as the only to so much as acknowledge him.

"Welcome back," 12S greeted. "So what did you find?"

"The draw bridge is up," 9S concluded. "We'll need to go through the ravine."

12S smirked at his observation. "I could have told you that."

That remark earned him a death stare from 9S. "Then why did you send us out there? Are you just trying to waste my time? You called it a recon mission, but all we were told to do was hike up to enemy lines and turn back. What the hell was the point!? We achieved nothing!"

12S nonchalantly waved his concerns away. "Those orders came directly from the boss lady herself. I just relayed them to you."

"Why would she order something like this?"

12S flinched at his tone. He said nothing, he merely gave 9S an awkward smirk as he tried to come up with a response. He then brought his right hand upward and pointed to the side of his head. 12S made a circular motion with his index finger for the briefest of moments, but it was more than enough to get his point across.

"The important thing is that you did what we asked. That's all we want from you. Now the next step is to cross the border and retrieve our target. Fortunately, you guys won't be subject to another no-kill order. We're not trying to be discreet here so feel free to kill anything that moves. Well... anything apart from Masamune."

9S adopted a slightly twisted smile at this new task he was being given.

"Now that sounds more reasonable," 9S replied. "When do we embark."

"As soon as our fellow crusaders are ready," 12S confidently answered, glancing over to the salt monsters in question.

They were still busy loading magazines and cleaning their rifles. 9S has no way of knowing how long this would take, but the anticipation to murder more machines quickly began eating away at him.

He wanted to fight something just to get his mind off of the image of 2B's lifeless corpse.

* * *

 

Once Devola reached the exit to this church of mad cultists and ancient monsters, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. The Sun was a welcome sight indeed. That torrent of relief in the face of her growing sense of dread was just as welcome.

665 remained true to her word and escorted her outside. She only stopped after they left the front doors. She turned back to face Devola.

"Please do not relay our location to any other Resistance personnel. Doing so will probably result in swift action against them. Keep what you learned here to yourself and your sister is only, for their sake."

Devola promptly nodded her head. "Understood. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"We will most likely be absent when you return but do feel free to make yourselves at home."

That caught Devola off guard. She tilted her head curiously at the pod.

"I'm sorry? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes. The Dragon, our glorious leader, has given us orders to secure a priority target in the Forest Kingdom. She demanded that it all be done before she returns from her current venture overseas. We plan to move out shortly as to not anger her."

"I see," Devola murmured. "Okay. I suppose I'll see you when I see you."

"Indeed, I wish you safe travels and welcome you to the movement."

Devola gave the pod one last thankful nod of her head. She then turned around and set off in the direction of the deeper ruins of the city. As soon as she disappeared behind a building, the pod muttered to herself.

"May your loyalty not falter with us as it did with mankind."

* * *

 

9S sat next to Jeremiah. He watched intently as the creature broke apart his rifle, cleaned it, and reassembled it in a matter of moments. He observed with mild fascination merely because there was nothing else going on in the room.

After some time had passed, the silence was broken when 9S heard a familiar voice in his head. Simultaneously, he and everyone else in the room stopped what they were doing and looked up.

"Move out," the Dragon ordered.

9S watched as the band of pale monsters immediately obeyed the order without a hint of hesitation. They all stood up out of their seats and collected their gear. 9S eventually followed suit while 12S waited at the door with an excited smile.

He abruptly stepped aside and opened the door. His support pod immediately flew in from outside. 9S was beginning to wonder if all this precision and mindless foresight displayed by those around him was more than coincidence. How exactly did 12S know his pod was right outside when she made no obvious noise?

"Orders received, ma'am," 665 announced in an almost cheerful tone. She then turned her attention from the air to the Legion.

"Gentlemen, I will be accompanying you for the duration of the operation. I will provide additional support fire and reconnaissance if required. As a reminder, we are to locate the machine know as Masamune and return him tot he chapel, alive and unharmed. The purpose of this operation is to obtain a skilled weaponsmith to service existing weapons and provide new ones as well. It is imperative that the target lives."

"Weapons are free," 12S interjected. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as he glared at 9S.

"Kill anyone who resists. Remember to shoot all loyalists on sight, but do whatever it takes to get our guy back in one piece. And no torturing the captive. A mentally broken machine is just as useless to us as a physically broken one."

"Are you coming as well," asked 9S.

12S shifted in place and responded with an uncomfortable laugh. "Oh, of course not. Much too dangerous. Besides, I'm no fighter, I'm a... a spiritual leader! While I have been sent on some combat-related operations in the past..."

"Mainly as punishment," 665 added nonchalantly.

"But I feel as though I will only slow our valiant crusaders down," 12S exclaimed in an attempt to drown out 665's remark.

9S nonchalantly rolled his eyes at his fellow android.

"Whatever."

"Ezekiel will be in charge from here on out," 665 explained. "Follow his orders to the letter."

Just when 9S was starting to wonder how exactly he was supposed to follow the orders of someone who did not speak, a strange thought entered his mind. Out of nowhere, he started to feel compelled to pick a partner for this mission.

Randomly, he assumed that this was the logical next step and he had no idea why. He took a look around and found himself puzzled to see that this was exactly what the others appeared to be doing.

665 floated over to Obadiah. Jubal ran up and patted Ezekiel on the shoulder, as of to claim him before anyone else had a chance. Amos and Isaiah mutually approached each other.

Right when 9S was starting to feel left out, he felt something nudge his shoulder. He turned to face Jeremiah who quietly nodded at him in approval. And just like that, they had all been grouped into teams of two.

9S was so bewildered by the experience. Without saying a word, they all marched out the door. 9S wondered as he left the room if Ezekiel had just as much access to his inner thoughts as the Dragon did. Was he now apart of some mysterious hive mind?

As he left the room, 12S grinned at him on the way out.

"Good luck," he called out to them.

9S was the last to leave the briefing room. The door was immediately shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cathedral has been described several times as being hard to notice despite being out in the open and an extremely elaborate building. This was mainly inspired by a similar location I read about in "The Inner Earth Compendium." This is a long compilation of just about every published account of strange encounters in caves, mines, and just about anywhere else under the surface of the planet. It is incredibly interesting and has resulted in me looking for an excuse to write something that takes place entirely underground.
> 
> Anyway, in one of these stories, someone allegedly found this massive structure up in the Alps if I'm remembering it correctly. It was not even underground for the most part. You could see the area from the surface but it apparently only looked like the side of a mountain from a distance. It was only until this person came right up underneath it when they noticed the elaborate structure that was hidden in plain sight.


	8. No Magic Allowed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: Should start planning one of a series of celebrations for our upcoming victories from capturing this machine to resurrecting our beautiful lord, Red Eye.
> 
> We may not have decorations or party hats… or anything, but we do have copious amounts of hallucinogenic fungus! What more could this congregation ask for!?

Devola sprinted across the ruins until she finally reached the Resistance Camp. She ignored the weird looks of the resistance fighters and immediately made her way to her tent. She threw open the curtain which was the closest thing to a door they would likely ever be able to call their own and spotted Popola sitting upright at the far corner.

"Welcome back," Popola nonchalantly greeted. "I'm feeling much better now. Did you find the ingredients?"

"Oh, right, to your drink," Devola concluded. "Sorry, sis, but I didn't have time. I got sidetracked."

"I see. Is something wrong? You look distressed."

Devola shifted uneasily at the question. She quickly ducked inside the tent and closed the curtains to at least give herself the illusion of privacy. For all she knew, there could be servants of Red Eye even in the Resistance Camp.

"I have good news that kinda ended up being bad news, and I have even worse news."

"That doesn't sound good," Popola announced in her usual calming tone.

Simply seeing her sister was enough to set Devola at ease. She slowed her breathing and let out a sigh as she explained the situation.

"9S is alive," she said almost optimistically.

Popola perked up at this rather unexpected news. "Really? He actually made it out of the Tower? Interesting… Is he still… um..."

"Crazy," Devola bluntly asked. "Yes, and he's gotten worse. Like  _really worse._  He almost burned down Pascal's village a little while ago."

Popola seemed even more taken aback by that little detail. "Is that so? Sister, maybe you should try not to get too heavily involved with whatever he's doing right now. I know you probably don't want to hear that, but if he actually did try to attack Pascal of all people, then that tells me he most likely has forgotten who his friends are. If that's the case then it's likely we're not too far away from his line of sight."

" _I know_ ," Devola snapped. She averted her gaze from her sister. "The problem is that he's made  _other_  friends. I don't know if he met these people in the Tower or whatever, but he's teamed up with some people who are arguably worse."

Popola tilted her head curiously. "Who are they?"

Only then did Devola realize how insane she was about to sound. She briefly contemplated a better way to explain this new, or rather, this ancient and newly revived threat. A way of wording things that would not be so obvious. Eventually, she gave up and simply blurted it out, disregarding how utterly mad it may sound.

" _The Legion has returned!_ "

* * *

 

A cluster of pale, ghostly monsters roamed silently through the ruined streets. 9S followed them and kept a careful eye on his surroundings. He twirled his brutish sword around his fingers as he examined the area for any signs of movement.

9S briefly halted his stride when he picked up on what sounded like music being played somewhere nearby. It was faint, but steadily growing louder. He was not the only one to notice this disturbance as the others eventually stopped and started scanning their surroundings for the source of this weird music.

" _Alert_ ," 665 abruptly announced. "Magical weapon entering close proximity. Proposal: Assume defensive formation and begin searching the area for a potential threat."

At about that same time, another one of those bizarre, silent orders entered 9S' head. He suddenly felt compelled to close the distance between himself and Jeremiah before promptly advancing toward an alleyway directly in front of them. The same direction where the music was clearly being played.

9S turned to the pod even as he pulled his sword and approached his partner. "What's going on? What do you mean by  _magical weapon?_ "

"It is self-explanatory," Pod 665 responded. "Any entity discovered which displays notable magical proprieties, especially when they can be detected by said properties, should be considered a threat. Our comrades are especially weak to magical attacks. Therefore, all precautions should be taken to ensure the success of the mission. Recommendation: Find the source and extinguish it."

"Wait, hold up," 9S pleaded with a perplexed look on his face. "That music sounds… familiar."

As soon as he had made his little announcement, a large mechanical entity came speeding through the alley ahead and practically flew straight at them.

The creature came out of the shadows, and only then did 9S recognize it.

"Emil! Hold on! Don't shoot, that's just..."

9S was quickly cut off. His request went either unheard or flat out ignored. A grenade flew past him and struck Emil's cart. A massive explosion erupted upon impact and the "magical threat" was instantly consumed in a torrent of fire and smoke.

* * *

 

The only response Popola could muster was a simple, "Show me."

Devola intended to do exactly that. She had expected this to happen. Despite Popola's inherent faith in her sister, Devola knew that even she would not believe it until she saw it. As the duo made their way through the ruins and toward the coast, Devola did her best to explain her experience.

Her sister's silence only made her feel more and more like a madwoman as she attempted to elaborate in detail about her trip to the Forest Kingdom and back. She made an effort to not leave anything out. From Jeremiah's abnormally intelligent behavior, down to just about every word uttered by Pod 665.

"That's when I came to find you," Devola concluded. "It was all so… creepy. The Legion should have killed both me and 9S on sight, but they didn't. They were organized too somehow. I guess it has to do with their new leader."

"And you haven't met this person yet," asked Popola. "Any idea who or even where they are?"

Devola solemnly shook her head. "Nope. Not a clue. From the way that pod and 9S spoke, I guess it's a she. They refer to her as a Dragon for some reason. Apparently, she's away right now. Not sure when she'll return but I suspect soon."

" _Dragon_ ," Popola announced curiously. "That sounds familiar. What I don't understand, apart from everything, is their organization. They sound like they're already rallied together and preforming large, coherent operations again. The only way they could do that, though, is if Red Eye is already revived."

"From what I can tell, that isn't the case," Devola argued. "The Dragon must be their new leader. Either way, someone I haven't met yet is calling the shots. That creepy pod kept hinting at something big. They're definitely preparing to move. I'm not exactly sure where they're headed."

"I find it incredibility unnerving that they did not try to kill you on sight, sister," Devola announced in monotone. "Even if they're a bit smarter than your average Legion abomination, they shouldn't have taken too kindly to our presence. Given that they're apparently taking orders from some higher entity, they really should have known who we are. Our role in the Legion's downfall is not particularly obscure."

A distant explosion caused the twins to stop and take in their surroundings. It sounded far enough away to not give them any immediate cause for alarm, but it was still noticeable. They listened for a moment to see if any further disturbance could be heard, but the ruins fell silent.

"As I was saying," Popola continued nonchalantly. She resumed her stride forward, and Devola quickly caught up to her. "There has to be some ulterior motive behind recruiting us of all people to their cause. That being said, it's good that you didn't lash out at anyone as, without access to a magical weapon, you would be quite dead. I think the best and only reasonable thing to do is go along with it and see what they're up to."

Devola gave her sister a look of bewilderment. "Are you saying we should go… uh… what's the word? Undercover?"

Her straight-haired sister promptly nodded and gave her a smile that somewhat lacked in the confidence department. "That is exactly what I am recommending. At least for now. We should be cautious, though. We have no idea why the Legion would want anything to do with us. I guess there's some ulterior motive behind recruiting you, but who knows? Maybe they genuinely do not actually know who we are. I wouldn't put it past 9S to have been the one to recommend recruiting us. He knows full well that we struggle with the other members of the Resistance daily and probably thought we would be useful. Maybe even easily convinced. No matter, they probably have plans to cripple the Resistance even further..."

Popola silenced herself and suddenly halted her stride almost as soon as she noticed that her sister had stopped moving forward. She tilted her head curiously at Devola.

She slightly turned just enough for Popola to see her gritting her teeth. There was an intense stare in Devola's eyes which did not sit well with Popola.

"Yeah," Devola grumbled. "Be a real shame to see the Resistance suffer a bit."

The android was about to walk off without saying another word but Popola grabbed her wrist. Devola jerked back and glared at her, although, her expression soon softened at the sight of Popola's concerned gaze.

Normally, her sister's touch was enough to banish any rage she felt toward the other members of that camp, but that was not the case this time for whatever reason. Her visage might have changed, but Popola could very clearly see nothing but contempt in Devola's eyes.

"It would be an even bigger shame if the Legion were to come out victorious, especially in a time like this. Wouldn't you agree, Sis?"

She did not argue.

"Yeah. I guess it would."

* * *

 

Emil ejected himself from his cart the moment it was impacted by that explosive. As it erupted into a mass of fire and flying shrapnel, Emil rolled into the hole of a nearby wall and hid within the shadows of the building's interior.

He wasted no time and bolted for the nearest table. It was not the best hiding spot, but it was better than being out in the open. He only intended on staying there for a moment while he surveyed his surroundings for an escape route, but even that moment was too much time wasted.

A lone android was the first to enter the building with a rustic machine sword drawn. While too dark for Emil to make out any details about this individual, he could tell that it was probably a male.

Emil quietly rolled further back underneath the table. He pressed himself against the wall and watched this unknown android. The sight of a pair of glowing red eyes did not exactly ease his apprehension.

"Come on out, Emil. Just answer some questions for us and we'll be on our way."

He recognized the voice, but it still did not compel him to leave his hiding spot.

" _Then why is your sword drawn_ ," he muttered quietly.

A light abruptly shined over the android, giving Emil a clear view of his face. He was easily recognizable even with those psychotic red eyes.

"...9S?"

Emil noticed a support pod which appeared to be the source of that light. The pod floated toward 9S and appeared to be looking around the room just as he was. That pod looked nothing like the ones he had seen around him or 2B in the past. Everything seemed so off about this picture. From his unusually aggressive body language to his eyes and that strange pod.

The sight only reinforced the idea that it was probably best for him to stay hidden for as long as it took to find a means of escape.

Before another word was spoken, before 9S or that unnamed pod could be given another second to search for him, the abrupt sound of gunfire from outside stole their attention. Without a second thought, the duo fled the dark room in the same direction they came.

Emil wasted no time. He took this opportunity, or rather, this stroke of blind luck to flee the in the opposite direction.

* * *

 

The twins returned to the chapel only to find that the entrance was not entirely unguarded as it was when Devola both first arrived and when she left to retrieve her sister. There was, not a crazed machine, but an android leaning against the stone walls in front of the set of doors leading to the building's interior.

It was a female model with blonde hair. That was all the detail they could manage to make out from the bottom of the staircase that stretched across the front side of the chapel. They glanced at each other before cautiously proceeding upward.

The android appeared to be doing more loitering than she did guarding. She paid virtually no mind to the two newcomers and only bothered to glance in their direction when they stepped up to her rather than doors next to her.

"What's up," the woman asked in a nonchalant and somewhat cold tone of voice.

At first, the twins thought the android's face had been severely burned. The realization soon hit them, however. A dark realization that made their stomachs simultaneously turn the instant they got a closer look.

Her face was neither burned, nor disfigured. Instead, her actual face was concealed behind a morbid mask of flayed skin that was stretched out across the front half of her head and brutally stapled to it. A separate face had been peeled off of another android and attached to her own. The staples ensured the flesh always remained tightly nestled around her face. Two staples held the lips of this demented mask into an eternal smile. The eyelids had been cut out in order to expose her eyes which were every bit as fiery red as 9S'.

Blood stained her clothes as if she never cared enough to clean it off or perhaps left it there intentionally. Regardless of the circumstance, the blood from the flayed flesh decorated her once pitch black uniform.

It took every fiber of Devola's being to not shriek in horror. It took just as much strength to not vomit at the stranger's feet. Popola caught onto this and stepped forward.

"Pardon us, but my sister and I are looking for 9S. White hair, red eyes. Your typical S-Type."

"I know him," the android flatly proclaimed. "Well, I know of him. He headed out not too long ago with Ezekiel's team and 12S' pod. Think they're headed for the Forest Kingdom to capture that machine weaponsmith. Uh, who are you guys again? 12S told me to expect two new recruits along with that boy. You fit his description."

"My name is Popola, and this is my sister, Devola. Nice… to meet you?"

"15B. Nice to meet you too, I suppose."

"So, the Forest Kingdom, you say," Popola asked once more for confirmation.

"That's right. I'd imagine they won't take too long, but feel free to go after them if you're not willing to wait."

Popola nodded her head. "I appreciate your help. We'll be on our way then..."

"I hope you don't mind me asking," Devola interrupted. "But out of curiosity, how did you wind up here?"

15B snickered at the inquiry. "A long story that I'm sure you don't have time to hear right now. Come and see me when you're not in a rush to catch up to your friend but to make a long and complicated story incredibly short… I, 12S, his pod, and two other androids were all assigned on several long missions together. We each had our own partners. Eight of us in total, but nobody else understood us. We came to realize that YoRHa, as well as our so-called partners, were abusing us. The Dragon herself reached out to us and offered us a new beginning. Needless to say, the rest was history. To this day, I still wish my old partner could be here in person but..."

She hesitated for a moment. 15B then pointed to her makeshift  _mask_  and smiled.

"Part of him is still with me so I guess I can't complain."

* * *

 

By the time 9S and 665 had regrouped with the rest of Ezekiel's team, they had stopped firing but their opponent was also still standing. A YoRHa android. There was no mistaking it. Nor was there any mistaking her identity.

The sight of her white hair crudely cut to resemble 2B's style along with her tattered and worn-out clothes flooded his mind with a tsunami of flashbacks. Her expression eternally stoic just like 2B, although, 9S knew better than to ever confuse the two.

When 9S finally realized that he was not hallucinating, he managed to remain perfectly still. He did not pull his sword and throw himself at her. He did not fly into a rage. He did not scream or throw a barrage of insults her way. The boy merely gave her a toothy smile. A smile that became more and more depraved with each passing microsecond.

He twitched out of demented excitement like a dog that had just spotted a squirrel. It struck even him in that very moment as odd when he realized that he was more excited than he was angry for once. However, this sudden wave of confusion did not break his psychotic composure.

" _A2_ ," he hissed in an uncharacteristic tone.

"Bullying that weird merchant," A2 inquired stoically.

Her sword was drawn in anticipation for the inevitable fight such a confrontation would evoke. She kept her eyes on the pale monsters but did not completely ignore 9S as she knew full well he would likely charge her before anyone else.

"Ezekiel," 9S blurted out. "Sir, I was unable to find your target, but he can't have gotten far. I guarantee he's still in that building looking for a way out. There is no reason for you to waste your time here any longer. Please let me deal with this one while you take on the real priority."

Ezekiel glanced to Jeremiah in particular. Jeremiah nodded silently as if the two had just shared a psychic exchange. Ezekiel then turned his attention back to 9S and shrugged at the android.

The idea of engaging A2 head on suddenly invaded the scanner's mind. It was the only signal he received that could even remotely be considered confirmation that his request was accepted.

The pale monstrosities then turned their backs on 9S' opponent and headed off to find Emil. A2 immediately attempted to advance on them in response.

Long before she managed to catch up to them, however, 9S was blocking her path in the blink of an eye, moving with the same brief but blinding speed that every android was capable of. Before she fully grasped what was happening, she found herself instinctively blocking his sword with her own.

"Your fight is with me," 9S informed with a wicked smile.

A2 leaped backward to clear some distance between herself and the maniacal scanner. He did not immediately charge after her for a second time.

" _A2_ ," he breathed in uncontrollable excitement and perverse enthusiasm. " _You have no idea how happy I am to see you!_ "


	9. Gathering of Traitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Log: Once again, I find myself concerned about these newcomers. 15B apparently saw two of those twins today. I thought one of them was dead. Goddamn necromancer bards.
> 
> What I have been told about them does not fill me with confidence either. Why in Red Eye’s glorious name would we want to side with two people who were literally designed to direct the heinous operations against us!? The Dragon has truly lost her mind, not that I had any doubt she had.
> 
> I must remember to bring this up to Sade sometime between now and when they return.

The sounds of gunfire quickly flooded the City Ruins once more. It did not take Ezekiel incredibly long to find his target. The moment he did lay eyes on a suspicious ball rolling around on the floor, oozing magical radiance, he and his team swarmed the enemy with a ferocity yet not witnessed by any of Red Eye’s followers.

While aggressive and fast in their initial advance, they remained cautious. Leaping from cover to cover while constantly laying down a hail of fire on their target. Despite their admittedly awe-inspiring effort to put this creature down in the first few seconds, the enemy was able to dodge the flurry of bullets that came his way.

The orb slid and dodged his way to a closed-off ventilation shaft and burst through it. He rolled off into the darkness. Amos was the only one to not stop the chase upon witnessing this escape attempt.

He ran ahead of the others and threw himself onto the floor. Taking aim with that bizarre rifle of his, he fired an explosive round into the newly created hole in the wall and remotely detonated it somewhere beyond the darkness.

The sound of an explosion was all they heard. Amos assumed he would have wiped out the entire wall with that shot, but there was no sign of external damage. He scratched his head a bit, wondering just how far that vent went, but upon seeing the others separate into their preferred teams of two and scramble, he knew he had no time to ask.

Silently, the beast stood up and chased after Isiah who did not seem too keen on waiting for him to catch up.

* * *

 

9S kept approaching A2. He had not yet charged her again, but he was persistent in closing the distance she kept trying to maintain.

His confidence grew at the sight of her slow and steady retreat. He picked up his pace and all too soon, their swords locked together once more.

“That arm,” A2 murmured. “Why do you have it?”

“Oh, this? Are you really so dumb? Did you not notice it in the Tower!? I lost my arm while climbing it. So, I used 2B’s arm. It’s the only way I can still _feel_ her these days. Thanks to you, of course.”

A2 could not help but tear her attention away from his “arm” and glance at his sword. A simple hunk of steel he likely swiped from a dead machine. She remembered seeing his old YoRHa issued sword back in the same room as 2B and the pods. It was not the sword, however, that caught her eye, but the mere fact that she was having to apply more force than she would have expected to keep him from inching his blade closer to her.

For some reason, he seemed to be slightly stronger than she recalled. It was only a slight difference, but once she finally noticed it, she could not deny that it was at least there.

She could only guess what that creepy pod and her salty companions could have possibly done to him while he was still unconscious, but if this added strength truly was more than just a figment of her imagination, she had no doubts that they were to blame.

“Calm down,” A2 ordered flatly. “Come with me and I’ll take you to 2B. She needs an arm to be fully repaired.”

None of it dissuaded 9S from fighting. If anything, the mere mention of her name caused him to flail his sword more wildly at her.

“What the hell are you talking about!?”

A2 focused all her strength on pushing him off of her. She swung her sword outward which sent him stumbling back a few feet. Barely enough to give her some breathing space and he was on her again in no time flat, but it helped.

“The pods are trying to revive 2B as they did for you. There’s no reason for us to fight anymore.”

“Even if you were telling the truth,” 9S admitted with a growing smirk. “Even if I did believe you, why would I ever stop fighting you? It’s too much fun! You could tap your feet together and resurrect her from the dead right now and that still wouldn’t stop me from running you through with my sword just like I did back at the Tower! Don’t you remember when I killed you? Why don’t you tell me how it felt?”

A2 could not figure out if he was simply bluffing or not. The way he twitched and smiled in such an uncharacteristic way. His movements were even different. His voice sounded a bit off. His eyes were colored differently than when they fought at the top of the Tower. His pupils did not glow red, instead, his irises took on the color as if it were natural to him.

She began attacking him without restraint, assuming there was simply no point in trying to reason with him. Physically dragging him to 2B was likely her only means of communicating anything to him. She soon began to push him back with each maneuver of her sword.

An explosion was set off somewhere inside the building beyond 9S. A2 suddenly remembered why she had confronted 9S and his ilk in the first place. She started searching for a means around her opponent, but he was unrelenting.

In a swift motion, A2 managed to rip his sword from his hands with a twist of her own. She then grabbed hold of his face and slammed him to the ground. Before he had a chance to process what had just happened, let alone stand up, she was well on her way to Emil.

About halfway between a large hole in the wall and 9S, A2’s sprint came to a screeching halt when she noticed a large shadow shifting in the darkness ahead. The sound of 9S charging her from behind ushered her forward.

She proceeded with caution and upon entering the building, she saw nothing. She attempted to make her way for the first open room her gaze rested upon, but she suddenly felt a finger tapping her shoulder.

A2 immediately twisted around, sword ready to block one of 9S’ attempts at her life, but she quickly found that 9S was nowhere in sight. Someone else was standing in arms reach of her. Someone who was considerably taller than she was.

The only greeting she got from this pale stranger was a fist colliding into her nose with enough force to knock her flat on her back with relative ease. The sound of clanging metal filled the room as her blade left her grip and hit the ground along with her.

She felt that same hand grab her left ankle. The android was promptly flung out into the open. A2 managed to recollect herself just in time to see who had bested her so easily and so suddenly.

“ _Jeremiah_ ,” 9S called out. He ran in between them and lunged at A2 once more. She narrowly avoided the furious swings of his sword.

“No need to get involved! She won’t get past me again!”

“Guess you’re not interested in having a fair fight, are you,” A2 inquired.

9S furrowed a brow at her, but he never slowed his endless assault upon her. “I’m not looking for a fight at all, to be honest. Just looking to see your entrails spilled out at my feet again!”

A2 responded by grabbing his throat the moment she saw an opening. She began to squeeze ever so slowly, all the while, 9S attempted to shake himself free from his grip. He swung his sword back in her direction, but she caught his

Jeremiah did not heed 9S’ obvious request to stay out of the fight. Neither 9S nor A2 noticed his advance until she spotted him glaring at her from over 9S’ shoulder. His mere presence was enough to cause A2 to retreat a few feet.

While 9S attempted to regain his breath, A2 sprung into action. She ran to the right of the duo and headed into the building, not for Emil but for her sword.

Surprisingly, Jeremiah let her go. She kept her eyes locked on him the whole time. Once she had her sword in hand, she charged him.

Jeremiah showed no interest in defending himself. This only caused her more concern. At about the halfway point between the building’s entrance and her opponent, she activated B-Mode and within an instant, she plunged her sword into Jeremiah’s stomach.

Absolutely nothing happened. After a second of hesitation, A2 looked up with a hint of astonishment in her eyes. Jeremiah did not budge. For a moment, he looked down at her silently without moving. He then tilted his head curiously, and before she could react, he lifted his dominate arm up and with one fast motion of his open palm, he broke A2’s left arm.

His palm plunged into her elbow, sending shards of metallic bone erupting from her flesh. The inner workings of her joint were promptly liberated from the confines of her skin and muscle and exposed to the outside air.

It was the most indescribable pain she had felt in a long time.

* * *

 

Emil burst out of air duct and into a largely undamaged room. He was followed by a trail of black smoke. The orb quickly began looking for a new way out. He spotted a door on the other side of the room.

He considered bursting out of the wall but the last thing he wanted was to make too much noise in his escape attempts.

At that moment, it was suddenly kicked off its hinges. Emil rushed behind the nearest rotting desk and listened closely. He still had no idea who else was chasing him. From the weapons they used, the likely were not androids. Rogue resistance fighters? He rolled his eyes closer to the floor in an attempt to poke his head under the narrow opening below the desk he used as cover.

He could only see a pair of aging boots. They slowly walked forward, briefly stopping after passing each desk to search that specific area. Emil knew he could not stay in that same spot, but he simply had nowhere else to go.

The inevitable soon happened. That pair of boots marched on over to the desk Emil was hiding behind. Emil slowly looked up to see a ghostly white face smiling down at her. A strange, creepy smile that did not so much as flinch as if it were intermediately plastered on this person, no, this _thing’s_ face.

The creature wore the tattered uniform of the average human soldiers from a bygone time. The pale entity aimed the barrel of his rifle straight at Emil. It was more than enough motivation for Emil to do something.

He burst through the desk and serpentined his way across the room. He could hear the weapon going off. Bullets rained down all around him. A majority of them veered off in unlikely directions as if they were being deflected by some unknown thing. Another assailant stepped in between him and the door. Dressed the same tattered urban camouflage, the monster pointed a shotgun in his face and unloaded a torrent of buckshot at Emil.

Just as the little ball was about to embrace a likely painful death of being ripped to shreds, there was a moment of hesitation. Emil looked around only to find that he was not exactly dead at the moment. A semi-transparent orb of energy encircled him. Buckshot pellets and rifle rounds were both caught within this sphere of energy.

Through instinct, he had at least managed to remember one spell. The two adversaries proceeded to unload their weapons into him until they had expended their ammunition. The pale duo then promptly bolted back out the door and took up positions outside of the room.

They lobbed three grenades into the room which all exploded around Emil, finally destroying his barrier of magic. Without wishing to charge headlong into another hail of gunfire, Emil threw himself out the wall to his left and rolled down the corridor.

The boy eventually reached a crossroads in the halls. At random, he picked the hall to his right and rolled off. He could hear rushing footsteps not only from behind him but ahead of him as well. All too soon were his enemies closing in on him from every available direction.

Just when he was about to burst through one of the walls surrounding him, an explosion erupted from his right. A cloud of dust enveloped him, but he could still see another pair of grenades flying toward him. He shielded himself with magic once more and simply hoped for the best.

* * *

 

Tracking 9S and his fellow Legionnaires down was not the most challenging task Devola and her sister had yet faced. A constant stream of gunfire and explosions lead the way. They both stopped in front of an old office building upon seeing three people dueling to the death just up ahead.

The sight of A2 caught Devola’s eye whereas Popola immediately noticed and promptly reeled in horror at the sight of one of Red Eye’s Legionnaires. Devola did not lie. She did not dream it up nor did she fall victim to madness. Any one of those options would have been more desirable to her than the reality of the situation.

Popola turned her gaze to A2 who fought desperately to clear herself some space between herself and an abnormally relentless 9S. He lunged at her every chance he got and swung his sword erratically. Each of his movements looked, at least on the surface, as completely irrational and he disregarded even the most basic training programmed into each YoRHa android. It made him much more dangerous in that respect as it made it impossible for Popola to predict what sort of attack he would lash out at his opponent with next.

All the while, that Legionnaire watched from the background. He stayed out of 9S’ way but he was always close behind, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. From the looks of it, the monster had apparently already done so.

Popola noticed the horrific wound on A2’s arm. Her metallic bones protruded from her flesh, indicating a very obvious break in her elbow. Popola found it hard to believe that 9S would be able to pull something off like that on his own.

“What do we do, Sis,” Devola’s voice came to her in a murmur.

Popola snapped back to reality and met her sibling’s concerned expression.

“She ain’t looking good, but we can’t fight them with the weapons we have now. Of course, if you still want to try and infiltrate the Legion until we can fight back, then our course of action is pretty obvious. At least, I think so...”

As much as it pained her, as much as it irritated the eternal guilt hardwired into her brain, Popola did not take long to answer. She drew her sword. In a panic, Devola did the same and waited to attack _someone_.

“ _9S_ ,” Popola eventually called out with authority that betrayed her usual tone. “We're here to back you up! Where do you want us!?”

9S only glanced at them. He fought back his surprise at the sight of Popola and quickly returned his attention to A2. “I want you to remain right where you are! Stay the hell out of this!”

A2 inevitably took notice in them. She looked at them with an enraged gaze that lingered a little longer than 9S’. A mistake that would prove to be a dire one.

“ _You traitors_ ,” she barked in disgust.

It was the only insult she could get out before 9S saw his opening. Without a hint of hesitation, he jumped on her. Leaping in the air, he plunged his sword forward and straight into her shoulder. Not quite enough to bring her down but it was more than enough to turn a tide that was already in his favor.

A2 was forced to stumble backward. Without so much as a hope of gaining any sort of ground, A2 was left with no other choice but to flee. She practically flickered out of sight as she bolted down the nearest alleyway and disappeared into the darkness.

Her effort to stick her neck out for Emil and potentially “rescue” 9S in the process had ended in utter humiliation. However, seeing her retreat was not enough to sate 9S’ rage. He attempted to chase her down, but a firm hand on his shoulder pulled him back.

The scanner jerked himself away from Jeremiah and shot a glare at him. “We can’t let her getaway! Help me catch her!”

The monster slowly shook his head and pointed to the building in the background where Emil was sure to be found.

“Then go help them if you want, but I’m going after her! She murdered my partner! I won't let her get away with it!”

Nothing he said convinced Jeremiah. The creature took a casual step forward and gave the android another firm shake of his head. For a moment, a brief moment, 9S prepared to simply attack Jeremiah.

He did not have such a severe lapse in judgment as to actually lash out at the creature, nor did he have the time. Another explosion drew their attention toward the building. They spotted a cloud of smoke drifting away from the wall. On the ground, 9S spotted Emil rolling out into the field. The sight of his rapid approach immediately caused alarm in the duo.

Jeremiah bolted for the nearest pile of rubble to take cover while 9S followed him. The twins were left stunned momentarily but assumed this strange metal ball to be problematic, so they took up a stance and waited for the entity to make a move.

Emil stopped about halfway between the building and group who had almost unintentionally surrounded him by that point. His gaze quickly fell upon 9S, who, to his shock stood shoulder to shoulder with one of those ancient foes. It should have come as no surprise to him as he had already encountered 9S in a less than friendly context mere moments earlier, but as the memories of the Legion slowly but surely began to resurface in his mind, astonishment and horror quickly took hold.

The other Legionnaires were not far behind. A minute passed before they had all emerged from various openings in the wall behind Emil and slowly started to surround him. Likely, the only reason they did not immediately shoot was due to the sight of 9S vaulting over his cover. He slowly approached Emil with a smile that was anything but joyous. Jeremiah was quick to rush after him and provide backup.

“Don’t move, Emil,” 9S ordered. “We just want to talk. Well, I just want to talk. My friends want you dead but provided you and I say all the right stuff, they might just let you off the hook.”

“Y-you’re working with the Legion,” Emil inquired in a meek stammer. “D-do you have any idea what t-these _friends_ of yours actually are!?”

“I don’t actually care, to be totally honest with you,” 9S admitted halfheartedly. “I was only working with them out of curiosity up until now. With A2 still at large, though, I predict we’ll be working together for the foreseeable future. That is... if they’ll have me, of course.”

Jeremiah gave him a reassuring pat on his shoulder. This friendless still did not change 9S’ demeanor of barely contained rage.

Emil turned himself to face the twins. Upon noticing them, he fell silent. He was left at a complete loss for words, but seeing them of all people on the side of the Legion eventually did make perfect sense to him. He had no reason to put it past them.

“ _You two are still alive!?_ 9S! I’m no friend of the Legion, but even you and your new friends should be wary of those two. They’ll turncoat the moment they get a chance.”

Normally, it would take a little more than that to earn a reaction from Devola. The mere thought of being considered less favorable than the Legion, however, caused her to fly into a rage. She hoisted her sword in the air and charged without a second thought.

Popola did not notice until she was already out of reach. Devola eventually stopped on her own when she realized that she was on the verge of running straight into Jeremiah’s outstretched arm. Silently, the monster glared at her from over his shoulder and slowly shook his head.

“ _Control yourself_ ,” 9S called out mockingly. His tone did not exactly help improve her mood.

“I bet they could tell you all about how they betrayed my friends and I. Kainé, Weiss… _Nier_. They’ll do the same to you. Trust me.”

“ _Pardon me_ ,” Pod 665 spoke out. She floated closer to Emil. Placing herself in between him and Ezekiel’s group. “But did I just hear you correctly. You referred to Nier as a friend of yours? The one who valiantly slew the Shadowlord? Leader of the relapsed Gestalts. Perhaps we can coexist if this truly is the case.”

To 9S’ surprise, the Legionnaires slowly lowered their weapons. He was not actually expecting Emil to survive this, but he was glad to see that something he said worked. If only he knew what these people were talking about.

“You know of him,” Emil inquired back, turning to the rogue pod. “I was not there when he killed the Shadowlord. To be totally honest, _I_ was not there for any of it. I’m only a copy of myself. It was another version of me that saw all of that, but essentially yes. We all worked together to stop him. I have no memory of it. The last thing I remember was dealing with those traitors, over there. They should be dead. I guess they’re like me, though. Newer iterations of the same people. Regardless, why do you care? How do you even know about Nier?”

“I myself, do not. That was before my time,” 665 explained. “However, the men around me have been around for a long time, indeed. We are no friends of the Gestalts or anyone involved in that project. We may have been a bit too hasty in our attempts to deal with you as well. Let’s start over, shall we? I am Pod 665, formerly in service to YoRHa, now I serve a new master. We all gather in the name of Red Eye and work to revive his glorious Legion. The Shadowlord, was but one of many obstacles in our path, and for slaying him. You have our gratitude. On behalf of the Legion, I would also like to offer you a place in our ranks if our current master approves, of course.”

“ _Never_ ,” Emil stated without hesitation. “My memories are scrambled. I can barely remember my friends at times, and even in those days, I had no recollection of the Legion. It’s all coming back to me now, though. I think I know full well who you people are and what you intend for this world. I refuse to help you achieve any of it.”

665 kept quiet for only a moment until she came up with a new idea. “Then I see nothing wrong with letting you live. Provided you see to it that we never cross paths again.”

“No,” Emil replied firmly with only a small hint of fear in his tone. “I can’t let you people have your way, either.”

He glared back at 9S in particular as he spoke. “And I’m sure 2B is turning in her grave at the thought of what you’re trying to do.”

Suddenly, the idea of avoiding conflict with Emil did not seem as tempting as it once was for 9S. No differently than Devola did he throw himself at Emil with his sword held high in the air. Were it not for someone firing a round into the back of Emil’s head, he would have reached the orb in no time at all.

Just as Emil shattered under the force of the round, a torrent of bizarre energy engulfed his general area. Emil disappeared under this mass of magical energy. 9S was quick to back away from it just as everyone else did.

From this swirling ball of warped energy, a massive smiling head emerged. It looked identical to Emil’s head, and there was little else it could be. Not just one of these heads appeared, but multiple. They stacked on top of each other and began firing smaller orbs of red energy in all directions, all the while replicating themselves over and over again.

9S turned his attention to Jeremiah who stood perfectly still and appeared to be somewhat relaxed as he watched this horrific turn of events unfold.

“Hey! What the hell do we do!? We need to fall back...”

9S’ panicked shouting was quickly silenced by a dismissive wave from Jeremiah who then pointed toward a nearly flattened building off to the side. Specifically, to the roof of the building.

Suddenly, he sprinted for it. The monster moved far faster than any android he had met in the past. A thought then entered 9S’ frazzled mind. A quiet whisper that gave him the answers to all of his questions.

_“_ _Keep up.”_

He did as telepathically told and ran to catch up to Jeremiah, dodging magical attacks as he went.


End file.
